DeepSummary
This podcast episode discusses the controversial story of Sam Cummings, known as the biggest private military weapons dealer in the world. It details how Cummings started his arms dealing business after leaving the CIA at a young age, buying surplus weapons from the US military after World War II and selling them to various countries and groups around the world, including Fidel Castro in Cuba despite an embargo.
The episode then shifts focus to Tal Dillion, an Israeli entrepreneur and former military intelligence officer. It covers Dillion's development of a sophisticated mobile surveillance technology called Wispear, which was capable of infecting phones and extracting data. The episode explores the controversial Forbes video where Dillion demonstrated the technology's capabilities.
The episode also delves into the revelations of Dillion's company, Intellexa, selling the 'Predator' spyware to intelligence agencies and regimes around the world, including those accused of human rights abuses. It discusses the fallout in Greece after reports of the government using Predator to spy on citizens, as well as the US sanctions imposed on Intellexa for its activities.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Sam Cummings became a billionaire arms dealer by exploiting surplus weapons after WWII and selling to various countries and groups, including those opposed to the US.
- Tal Dillion developed sophisticated mobile surveillance technology called Wispear and Predator, capable of infecting phones and extracting data.
- Dillion's company, Intellexa, sold the Predator spyware to intelligence agencies and regimes around the world, including those accused of human rights abuses.
- The use of Predator by the Greek government to spy on citizens sparked controversy and legal actions, including US sanctions against Intellexa.
- The proliferation of advanced surveillance technology by companies like Intellexa raises ethical concerns about privacy, human rights, and the power of governments and regimes.
- Both Cummings and Dillion appeared to prioritize business interests over ethical considerations in their dealings with controversial regimes and groups.
- The episode questions the role of oversight and regulation in the development and sale of powerful surveillance and weapons technologies.
- The story highlights the global nature of the arms and surveillance industries and the challenges of controlling the spread of such technologies.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I would say the Russians build the best military weapons across the board and they also build them in tremendous quantity, which is the key factor in modern war.“ by Sam Cummings
- “The business as a business is fascinating.“ by Sam Cummings
- “Him, actually, maybe you don't like to know it, but somebody knows exactly where you are all the time, because each of our devices just says, hey, I'm here every, I think, 15 minutes.“ by Tal Dillion
- “We are not the policemen of the world and we are not the judges of the world.“ by Tal Dillion
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Episode Information
Darknet Diaries
Jack Rhysider
9/5/23
A new type of mercenary spyware came on the radar called Predator. It’ll infect a mobile phone, and then suck up all the data from it. Contacts, text messages, location, and more. This malware is being sold to intelligence agencies around the world.
In this episode we hear from Crofton Black at Lighthouse Reports who spent 6 months with a team of journalists researching this story which was published here: https://www.lighthousereports.com/investigation/flight-of-the-predator/.
We also hear from Bill Marczak and John Scott-Railton from Citizen Lab.
If you want to hear about other mercenary spyware, check out episodes 99 and 100, about NSO group and Pegasus. To hear another episode about Greece check out episode 64 called Athens Shadow Games.
Sponsors
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