Group of bipartisan lawmakers ask US government to ban several hack-for-hire firms
The three Indian companies are accused of using hackers to steal information used to sway litigation.
A group of bipartisan U.S. lawmakers has urged the federal government to ban several hack-for-hire firms that conduct cyberattacks on behalf of their clients. The senators and congressman accused the firms of targeting Americans and using foreign courts to silence U.S. reporting on their activities. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, the lawmakers requested the addition of three Indian companies—BellTroX, CyberRoot, and Sunkissed Organic Farms—to the Commerce Department's economic sanctions "entity list."
The list prevents U.S. businesses from transacting with the named entities, aiming to restrict their access to critical technology. The lawmakers alleged that these mercenary hacking companies have stolen data from thousands of Americans and engaged in a censorship campaign to suppress public awareness of their activities. One of the companies, Appin, previously obtained a court order from an Indian court forcing Reuters to remove its reporting on the company while it was appealing the order.
The hack-for-hire firms allegedly operated at the behest of the Qatari government and targeted a former senior Republican lawmaker. The Digital Rights Group Electronic Frontier Foundation defended two news organizations from legal threats after Appin engaged in "a campaign of bullying and censorship."
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