18 December 2025, San Marino – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), supported by its Centre for Global Studies (CGS), publishes today its new comprehensive report on “Spyware Misuse: Legislative, Governance, and Judicial Considerations, Historical Evolution, and Technical Insights”.
The report, available on PAM-CGS website, was developed within the framework of PAM’s established cooperation with the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), and examines the growing threat posed by the misuse of spyware technologies in the broader context of illegal surveillance and cyber intrusions.
Originally designed to support legitimate counter-terrorism and law-enforcement activities, spyware tools are increasingly exploited to manipulate communications, compromise personal data, and target individuals.
The preliminary findings of the report were already presented in September 2025, on the occasion of a PAM-CGS and CTED side event, held during the High-Level Week of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The report has since then undergone a peer-review process conducted by leading academic and institutional partners, including the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, the University of Minnesota Twin, and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
At the side-event, the U.S. Permanent Representation to the United Nations was also present and stressed the need for stricter rules governing the use of commercial spyware, ensuring an appropriate balance between national security imperatives, the protection of privacy, and the respect for human rights.
In January 2025, the United States organized the first-ever Arria-formula meeting of the United Nations Security Council dedicated to the issue of commercial spyware, situating its misuse within the broader evolving global security landscape.
The report reviews existing regulatory and judicial responses at national, regional, and international levels, highlighting emerging initiatives and landmark judicial cases that underscore the urgency of strengthened oversight and accountability.
The report also includes a dedicated technical annex that provides an in-depth analysis of the historical evolution of spyware technologies, their technical functioning, and their profound implications for human rights, while outlining how spyware tools operate, the risks associated with emerging surveillance technologies, and practical recommendations to enhance digital security and resilience.
Among its conclusions, the report calls for unified security standards, continuous cybersecurity awareness, and proactive protective measures, particularly in light of the growing integration of artificial intelligence and emerging surveillance tools.
PAM will soon publish another comprehensive report, entitled The Dark Web–Spyware Nexus: Implications for National Security and Human Rights, as a continuation of its ongoing strategic research.//