French spyware bosses have been indicted for their role in the torture of dissidents
The news: Senior executives at a French spyware firm have been indicted for the company’s sale of surveillance software to authoritarian regimes in Libya and Egypt that resulted in the torture and disappearance of dissidents. The former head of Amesys, Philippe Vannier, and three current and former executives at Nexa technologies were indicted for “complicity in acts of torture”.
Why it’s significant: While high-tech surveillance is a multibillion-dollar industry worldwide, it is rare for companies or individuals to face legal consequences for selling such technologies—even to notorious dictatorships or other dangerous regimes.
What’s next: Amesys and Nexa are still subject to an ongoing judicial investigation. Next, the judges will decide whether to send the case to criminal court or dismiss it if there is not sufficient evidence. The indictment suggests judges will view the evidence as potentially strong enough to support a criminal trial.
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—Patrick Howell O'Neill
