New Delhi: At the third Summit for Democracy, the governments of Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Poland, and the Republic of Korea agreed on a joint statement to work together to counter the misuse of commercial spyware. This is the first of its kind international commitment made by the governments.
The joint statement acknowledges the threat posed by the misuse of commercial spyware and the necessity of strict domestic and international regulations on its proliferation and use. It also expresses concern about the potential for authoritarian regimes and democracies to misuse this technology to target and intimidate political opponents, limit freedom of expression and association, and enable human rights violations.
The governments committed to implementing the Guiding Principles on Government Use of Surveillance Technologies and the Code of Conduct developed within the Export Controls and Human Rights Initiative. They also agreed to take necessary measures to prevent the export of software, technology, and equipment to end-users that are likely to be misused for malicious cyber activities. The joint statement also calls for information sharing on commercial spyware proliferation and misuse, as well as cooperation with industry partners and civil society groups in developing and implementing responsible use principles. The governments hope that this joint statement will raise awareness about the misuse of commercial spyware and encourage responsible development and use.