Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Facebook alerts 50,000 users targeted by cyber mercenaries as it bans seven surveillance-for-hire groups

Facebook alerts 50,000 users targeted by cyber mercenaries as it bans seven surveillance-for-hire groups

The company's alerts warn of "sophisticated attackers" targeting victims' accounts and urge users to be cautious when accepting friend requests and interacting with people they don't know.

Facebook has alerted around 50,000 people who the company believes were targeted by "cyber mercenaries" - private companies often hired by authoritarian states to spy on individuals.

The victims included "journalists, dissidents, critics of authoritarian regimes, [and] families of opposition and human rights activists" the company warned in a threat report published on Thursday.

The mercenaries targeting these individuals were similar to NSO Group, the Israeli spyware firm recently sanctioned by the US government, but Meta said: "NSO is only one piece of a much broader global cyber mercenary industry."

Meta has sent cease and desist letters to several 'cyber mercenary' organisations


Alongside the alerts sent to victims, Meta said it had disabled seven entities that had been targeted people in over 100 countries as well as issued cease and desist letters.

The seven surveillance-for-hire groups are based in China, Israel, India and North Macedonia the company said, from where they "indiscriminately" targeted people in over 100 countries.

Meta said these organisations violated multiple community standards and terms of service rules and have been permanently banned.

Sky News did not immediately receive a response from the companies which Meta named.

"The existence and proliferation of these services worldwide raises a number of important questions," wrote David Agranovich and Mile Dvilyanski, senior cyber security specialists at the firm with backgrounds working for the US government.

"While these cyber mercenaries often claim that their services and surveillanceware are meant to focus only on criminals and terrorists, our own investigation, independent researchers, our industry peers and governments have demonstrated that targeting is indeed indiscriminate."

It follows the words of the head of the UK National Cyber Security Centre, Lindy Cameron, who earlier this year issued a warning about "the commercial market for sophisticated cyber exploitation products".

"Those with lower capabilities are able to simply purchase techniques and tradecraft - and obviously these unregulated products can easily be put to use by those who don't have a history of responsible use of these techniques.

"We need to avoid a marketplace for vulnerabilities and exploits developing that makes us all less safe," Ms Cameron added.

Meta - which first sued NSO Group over a WhatsApp hack - said it was encouraged to see Microsoft and Apple, as well as the US Government, "begin to draw attention to this threat and take action against it".

"For our collective response against abuse to be effective, it is imperative for technology platforms, civil society and democratic governments to raise the costs on this global industry and disincentivise these abusive surveillance-for-hire services.

"Our hope with this threat report is to contribute to this global effort and help shine the light on this industry," the statement added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
×