African Union: Published Declaration on Pall Mall Process on Tackling the Proliferation and Irresponsible Use of Commercial Cyber Intrusion Capabilities

On 6 February 2024, a collaborative statement involving multiple countries and endorsed by technological companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Meta was released. This joint declaration underscored the imperative for enhanced measures to address the malicious exploitation of cyber espionage tools. Signed by 35 nations during a conference hosted by Britain and France, the statement aimed to counter the escalating prevalence and misuse of spyware, which is employed for listening to phone conversations, unauthorised photo access, and remote manipulation of cameras and microphones. The declaration called upon signatories to utilise these tools in a legal and responsible manner, ensuring precision, implementing increased oversight, and fostering transparency in dealings with commercial spyware vendors.