"After years of being dominated by outsiders, the computer surveillance software industry is booming in the United States as investors rush into the ethically dodgy but highly lucrative field. The Atlantic Council think tank reported that US investment in surveillanceware rocketed in the last year and identified 20 new US investors, and noted the number of resellers is also rapidly increasing."
"Surveillanceware is essentially the same as spyware in that it spies on people's computer usage and sometimes steals data. But while spyware may be installed surreptitiously through a malware infection, surveillanceware is generally sold to law enforcement agencies. Companies like the UK's Gamma Group and Israel's NSO Group pioneered the field, but now America's investors are betting big on the technology, the report found."
"Which is somewhat awkward, since the US and other governments around the world are trying to rein in the industry. While surveillanceware is useful for some national agencies, civilian governments are trying to exercise control via agreements like the Pall Mall Process, a voluntary pact the US and nearly 30 other nations and international organisations have joined to rein in the spread of commercial surveillance tools."
US investment in surveillanceware surged in the last year, with 20 new US investors identified and resellers rapidly increasing. The quantity of US-based entities investing in the spyware market is three times greater than in the next three highest countries combined. Surveillanceware functions similarly to spyware by spying on people's computer usage and sometimes stealing data, but it is generally sold to law enforcement agencies rather than installed surreptitiously. Companies such as the UK's Gamma Group and Israel's NSO Group pioneered the field, and American investors are now betting heavily on the technology. Rapidly increasing investment risks undermining coordinated government efforts to constrain the spyware market.
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