Press Releases

Washington, DC — Today, the Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Jim Himes (CT-04), issued the following statement in response to the United States and ten international partners’ joint statement on efforts to counter the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware. These partners are Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

“I am increasingly disturbed by the rapid proliferation of powerful commercial spyware across the globe and its use by autocrats and malicious actors. We have seen this invasive technology used to target the journalists, activists, government officials, and opposition leaders who make up the fabric of a healthy democracy. Earlier this month, I led a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers in pushing for an international coalition to control the spread of commercial spyware and its abuses.

“I commend President Biden and the Administration for bringing together this group of global partners in recognition of this significant threat to our human rights, civil liberties, and national security. This is the first step in building an international coalition to hold rogue spyware companies accountable and bring this proliferation under control. We are at our strongest when we act collectively with those who share our values.”  

You can view the full letter to Secretary Blinken here.