Unlocking Justice: A Policy Roadmap for Victims of Spyware

Senior Fellow Nadine Farid Johnson writes about face major legal barriers to justice and why policymakers must create clearer pathways for spyware attacks accountability in U.S. courts.

What happens when spyware quietly infiltrates a device, but victims have no clear path to justice? And where can accountability be found when existing legal frameworks fall short? Although companies claim these tools are meant to help governments combat serious crime and terrorism, they have repeatedly been used to target journalists, human rights defenders, and even U.S. diplomats, chilling free expression and undermining fundamental rights.

“Victims of spyware invasions in limbo and without redress in U.S. courts, despite the violations of privacy, safety, and freedom of expression they suffer.”

By detailing these legal obstacles and their real-world consequences, the piece underscores a critical challenge: ensuring that accountability mechanisms evolve alongside the technologies that increasingly undermine them.

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