Facebook says 50,000 users were targets of ′cyber mercenaries′ | News | DW | 16.12.2021

Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is taking action against the “surveillance-for-hire industry” that is using social media platforms to indiscriminately target dissidents and journalists. Facebook’s parent company, Meta, suspended around 1,500, mostly fake accounts run by ‘cyber mercenaries’ Nearly 50,000 Facebook users in more than 100 countries around the world have received a warning from the social media giant that they might have been targeted by surveillance companies. Facebook’s parent company, Meta, released a report on Thursday saying that “cyber mercenaries” regularly spy on dissidents, critics of authoritarian regimes, journalists, families of opposition members and human rights activists — on behalf of paying clients. “[It] looks like indiscriminate targeting on behalf of the highest bidder,” Nathaniel Gleicher, head of security policy at Facebook, said following a months-long investigation. ‘Surveillance-for-hire’ Meta said it suspended around 1,500 mostly fake accounts run by seven organizations across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The accounts were linked to seven firms in Israel, India, North Macedonia and China, but more than two dozen countries are said to have used their surveillance services. “The surveillance-for-hire industry is much broader than one company,” Gleicher said. Meta issued cease and desist letters and said it shared information with law enforcement agencies. Spyware on smartphones can be used…
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