Spyware is a type of malicious software that can secretly monitor, record, and control the activities of users on their devices. It can be used for various purposes, such as stealing personal information, spying on communications, or manipulating behavior. But what happens when spyware is used by governments and corporations to target and harm civil society organizations that are working to protect human rights, democracy, and the environment?

This is the reality that many activists, journalists, and dissidents around the world are facing today. They are being tracked, intimidated, and attacked by state-sponsored mercenary spyware, which is sold and deployed by a lucrative and unregulated industry. The consequences can be devastating: physical violence, psychological trauma, censorship, imprisonment, or even death.

To address this urgent and global threat, a coalition of leading philanthropies, in partnership with Apple, has launched the Spyware Accountability Initiative, a $4 million grantmaking program that will support a diverse and growing network of civil society organizations who are fighting back against the spyware industry. The initiative is led by the Ford Foundation’s Dignity and Justice Fund, which is fiscally sponsored by the New Venture Fund (NVF), and also supported by Open Society Foundations, Okta for Good, and Craig Newmark Philanthropies.

The Spyware Accountability Initiative aims to expose, challenge, and hold accountable the actors behind the spyware industry, using a variety of strategies, such as regulation, litigation, and investigation. The initiative will also help to build the capacity and resilience of civil society organizations in the Global South, where the harms of spyware are most severe and the resources to combat them are most scarce.

The initiative has already awarded grants to nearly two dozen organizations from different regions and sectors, who are working on the frontlines of this issue. Some of the grantees include:

• Access Now, a global organization that defends and extends the digital rights of users at risk, and advocates for stronger legal and policy frameworks to protect privacy and security online.
• Amnesty Tech, a team within Amnesty International that investigates and exposes human rights abuses enabled by digital technologies, and campaigns for digital justice and accountability.
• The Citizen Lab, a research center at the University of Toronto that conducts interdisciplinary research on the intersection of information and communication technologies, human rights, and global security.
• Data Privacy Brasil, a Brazilian organization that promotes data protection and privacy rights through research, education, and advocacy.
• Digital Rights Foundation, a Pakistani organization that empowers and protects the digital rights of citizens, especially women and marginalized groups, through research, advocacy, and awareness.
• Media Defence, a UK-based organization that provides legal assistance and training to journalists, bloggers, and independent media outlets who are facing legal threats for their work.

These are just some examples of the amazing work that the Spyware Accountability Initiative is supporting. By bringing together and strengthening this community of civil society actors, the initiative hopes to create a more secure and equitable digital environment for everyone.

As Lori McGlinchey, director of Ford Foundation’s Technology and Society program, said: “Addressing the global spyware industry cannot be the work of any one company or funder or government; it requires an approach as interconnected as our world is today. The Spyware Accountability Initiative is a major step towards confronting and neutralizing the threat mercenary spyware poses to human rights defenders, journalists, and dissidents around the globe.”