Summit For Democracy 2024: A Panel on Misuse of Commercial Spyware

In March 2024, I traveled to Seoul to speak at the third Summit for Democracy, hosted by the U.S. Department of State and the South Korean government.

I shared my experience of having been spied on, explained how democratic backsliding in El Salvador has affected civic space, and made a case for growing oversight of the use of commercial spyware.

I also asked a room full of diplomats, civil society leaders, and various government officers for two things:

1) To support independent journalism and make sure no more newsrooms are forced to shut down due to lack of funds, and
2) To call authoritarian leaders and governments by their names and refrain from giving them second, third, or fourth chances, as they will consolidate their grip and further erode civic space.