Biden Signs Federal Ban on Use of Risky Commercial Spyware

President Joe Biden signed an executive order barring federal agencies from using commercial spyware that “poses risks to national security” or has been used by foreign actors to enable human rights abuse, the White House announced Monday. The EO applies to spyware tools created by foreign and domestic companies, the White House said. The EO sets out a list of factors to determine risks, including concerns about whether the entity has used the spyware to gain access to U.S. government devices, whether the entity has abused data and espionage issues.