WikiLeaks releases copies of FinFisher 'malware'

WikiLeaks has released copies of surveillance software, developed by German company FinFisher, that has been used by intelligence agencies around the world to secretly spy on people's online behaviour.

The website has posted files of what it calls "weaponised German surveillance malware", short for malicious software, for anyone to download online as part of its campaign against mass online surveillance.

Julian Assange, WikiLeaks founder who remains holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, said in a statement that the data released should help the "technical community" to build tools to protect people from FinFisher's software.

"FinFisher continues to operate brazenly from Germany selling weaponised surveillance malware to some of the most abusive regimes in the world," he said, with WikiLeaks adding that it found evidence that customers include Pakistan, Qatar and Vietnam, as well as Italy, Singapore, South Africa and many others.

Mr Assange criticised the German government for becoming enraged about the surveillance of the US National Security Agency, while allowing FinFisher to operate in their own country.

"The Merkel government pretends to be concerned about privacy, but its actions speak otherwise. Why does the Merkel government continue to protect FinFisher?" he asked.

WikiLeaks did not say where the files came from, in line with their usual policy to protect the identity of those who send the site information.

FinFisher describes its products as "innovative cyber tools" that target suspect's devices and extract information such as passwords and files, allowing customers to track suspects. On its website, it says the software is only sold to governmental agencies and cannot be used for mass interception, just targeting individuals. The Munich-based company did not respond to requests for comment.

Eric King, deputy director of Privacy International, a UK-based human rights watchdog, said FinFisher has "long been one of the most aggressive companies when it comes to supplying the world's law enforcement agencies with dangerous spying tools".

Privacy International has, alongside the US-based Electronic Frontier Foundation, previously filed lawsuits on behalf of activists who were targeted by the Ethiopian government using FinFisher.

"These new documents from WikiLeaks give us greater insight into how companies like FinFisher and the governments they supply compromise our personal devices, and spy on the most private part of our lives," he said. "More transparency is needed to hold companies like FinFisher to account, as well as the governments purchasing such equipment."

WikiLeaks also used a price list to estimate that FinFisher sold licences worth almost €100m, though it is not clear over what time period.

Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer for Finnish cyber security company F-Secure, said it was "remarkable" how much money the company was making. He added that if governments are using this kind of software to spy on citizens, they should produce reports on how often and how effective they are.

"If tools like these are used in secret, we the citizens can't decide if they are worth the privacy trade-off or not," he said.

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