The U.S. Department of State plans to impose visa restrictions on 13 individuals involved in the development and sale of commercial spyware, or who have benefited financially from its misuse. The spyware has been used to target journalists, academics, human rights defenders, dissidents, and U.S. Government personnel. This action follows a new U.S. policy aimed at safeguarding privacy and freedom of expression by countering the misuse of spyware, particularly by authoritarian regimes. Recent reports highlight ongoing concerns about spyware's misuse, including a proof-of-concept system named Aladdin, and the proliferation of stalkerware affecting thousands globally.