Serbia Loses Cellebrite Access Over Tool Abuse—Why Spare Others? - AI News Today Recency

**Israeli digital forensics firm Cellebrite suspended services to Serbia on February 25, 2025, after confirming that Serbian police and the Security Information Agency (BIA) systematically misused its UFED phone-extraction tools to spy on activists and journalists without legal authorization.**[1][2] The suspension followed an Amnesty International investigation published in December 2024 that documented the unlawful targeting of civil society figures critical of the government, with further evidence emerging in late February 2025 showing authorities continued surveillance campaigns against a youth activist using Cellebrite zero-day exploits.[3][7] However, Amnesty International's Security Lab head Donncha Ó

**Israeli forensics firm Cellebrite suspended operations in Serbia in February 2025 after admitting misuse of its digital extraction tools by police and intelligence agencies targeting activists and journalists, yet the company has faced no comparable restrictions from other governments despite similar documented abuses globally.**[1][2] The suspension created a competitive opening in Serbia's surveillance market, though the Ministry of Interior regained Cellebrite licenses by April 2025—just two months after the halt—indicating limited long-term market disruption.[3] Amnesty International's Head of Security Lab Donncha Ó Cearbhaill stated the decision was "a critical first step," but warned that "any further exports of surveillance or

**Serbia Loses Cellebrite Access Over Tool Abuse—Why Spare Others?** Cellebrite suspended its products for "relevant customers" in Serbia on February 25, 2025, following Amnesty International's December 2024 report documenting how Serbian police and intelligence agencies systematically misused the forensic tools to target civil society activists and journalists.[1][2] However, Amnesty International revealed that **abuse continued even after the suspension**, uncovering at least two additional cases of Cellebrite misuse against activists, suggesting Serbian authorities "remain confident that they can continue using such oppressive tactics with impunity."[4] Amnesty has called on Serbia's government

**Cellebrite Suspends Serbia After Documented Forensic Tool Abuse** Israeli mobile forensics vendor Cellebrite announced on February 25, 2025, that it suspended Serbian customers following Amnesty International's December 2024 report documenting systematic misuse of its UFED product to unlock phones of journalists and activists, then install domestically-produced NoviSpy spyware.[1][2] Amnesty's Security Lab Head Donncha Ó Cearbhaill called the suspension "a critical first step" but pressed for broader action, stating that "any further exports of surveillance or digital forensics technology to Serbia must be stopped until the authorities have implemente

**NEWS UPDATE: Public Outrage Mounts Over Serbia's Cellebrite Suspension—Calls Grow to Spare Other Nations** Consumer and civil society reactions have exploded online following Cellebrite's February 25, 2025, suspension of Serbian customers, with Amnesty International's Donncha Ó Cearbhaill declaring it “a critical first step” but demanding “thorough and impartial investigations” and remedies for victims of police spyware abuse against journalists and activists.[1][3] Over 10 million Amnesty supporters worldwide are amplifying calls via campaigns to halt exports to high-risk countries like Kenya, where similar Cellebrite misuse targeted activist Boniface Mwangi, questioning why “widespread” surveillance persists unchecked i

**Cellebrite Suspends Serbia Operations Amid Broader Questions on Global Oversight** Israeli digital forensics firm **Cellebrite suspended its UFED product use by Serbian customers on February 25, 2025**, following Amnesty International's December 2024 report documenting systematic misuse of the technology by Serbian police and intelligence agencies to target journalists and activists[1][3]. The suspension came after Amnesty's latest findings revealed a **zero-day Android exploit** used against a Serbian student activist, with evidence of "at least two further cases" of ongoing misuse suggesting the practice remains widespread[5]. However, the decision has intensified scrutiny over why similar action hasn't

**Amnesty International disclosed zero-day Android exploits used by Serbian authorities with Cellebrite's UFED system to target a student activist, revealing at least two additional cases of abuse beyond those documented in December 2024.**[6] The findings underscore what security researchers call a broader accountability gap: while Cellebrite suspended Serbian customers on February 25, 2025, following the initial Amnesty report, the company has declined to investigate similar documented abuses in Jordan and Kenya, and Russian authorities continue operating Cellebrite tools despite the company's 2021 halt to sales there.[4][5] Amnesty's Security Lab chief stated that "withdrawing licenses from customers who mis

**LIVE NEWS UPDATE: Serbia Cellebrite Ban Sparks Calls for Regulatory Action** Israeli firm Cellebrite suspended product access for Serbian police and security services on February 25, 2025, after Amnesty International's December 2024 report revealed misuse of its UFED tools to unlock devices of journalists and activists, enabling spyware installation[1][2][3]. Amnesty's Head of Security Lab, Donncha Ó Cearbhaill, demanded Serbia "urgently conduct their own thorough and impartial investigations, hold those responsible to account, provide remedies to victims and establish adequate safeguards," while urging Cellebrite to halt further exports until independent oversight is implemented[3][4]. No Serbian government response or investigation ha

**NEWS UPDATE: Cellebrite's Serbia Ban Reshapes Digital Forensics Competition** Cellebrite's suspension of its UFED software licenses for select Serbian clients—announced February 25 after confirming Amnesty International's December 2024 findings of misuse against activists and journalists—has opened doors for rivals like Grayshift (GrayKey) and Magnet Forensics in the Balkans' law enforcement market.[1][2][3] Amnesty's Donncha Ó Cearbhaill noted, “Withdrawing licences... is a critical first step,” urging a halt to further exports, while Serbia's Interior Ministry reportedly regained access by April, potentially pressuring competitors to tighten due diligence amid global scrutiny.[4][5