Predator Spyware Used for Illegal Surveillance of Political Figures and Civil Society Worldwide

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The AI-powered spyware Predator, sold by French company Nexa, was used by various governments, including Vietnam and Madagascar, to illegally surveil journalists, political figures, and civil society members across Europe, the US, and Asia. This led to significant human rights violations and breaches of privacy and democratic rights.[AI generated]

Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?

The article explicitly mentions the AI system Predator, a spyware software with AI capabilities, being sold and used illegally to surveil political opponents and journalists in Madagascar. This use has directly led to violations of human rights and breaches of legal obligations. The involvement of Nexa in facilitating this sale and the misuse of the AI system for political repression meets the criteria for an AI Incident. The harms are realized and significant, including political surveillance and repression, which are violations of fundamental rights.[AI generated]
AI principles
AccountabilityPrivacy & data governanceRespect of human rightsRobustness & digital securitySafetyTransparency & explainabilityDemocracy & human autonomyHuman wellbeing
Industries
Government, security, and defenceDigital securityMedia, social platforms, and marketing
Affected stakeholders
Civil society
Harm types
Human or fundamental rightsPsychologicalPublic interest
Severity
AI incident
Business function:
ICT management and information securityMonitoring and quality control
AI system task:
Other

Articles about this incident or hazard

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Predator : comment le groupe français Nexa a vendu le logiciel espion à Madagascar

2023-10-12
Le Monde.fr
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The article explicitly mentions the AI system Predator, a spyware software with AI capabilities, being sold and used illegally to surveil political opponents and journalists in Madagascar. This use has directly led to violations of human rights and breaches of legal obligations. The involvement of Nexa in facilitating this sale and the misuse of the AI system for political repression meets the criteria for an AI Incident. The harms are realized and significant, including political surveillance and repression, which are violations of fundamental rights.
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Le Vietnam accusé d'espionnage contre des élus européens

2023-10-10
20minutes
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
Predator is an AI-powered spyware system used for targeted surveillance, which constitutes a violation of human rights and democratic rights. The event describes the use of this AI system in a campaign of espionage against European elected officials and institutions, which is a clear breach of fundamental rights and legal protections. The harm is realized or at least ongoing given the targeted nature of the campaign and the involvement of high-profile political figures. Therefore, this qualifies as an AI Incident due to the direct or indirect harm caused by the AI system's use.
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Scandale des "Predator files". La société civile, des personnalités politiques et des responsables ciblés illégalement par un logiciel espion

2023-10-09
Tolerance
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware 'Predator' is an AI system designed to infiltrate and surveil targets, which constitutes a violation of human rights and privacy. The illegal targeting of individuals including political figures and civil society members directly leads to harm in terms of rights violations. Therefore, this event qualifies as an AI Incident due to the direct harm caused by the use of an AI system (spyware) in breaching fundamental rights.