Apple has announced a $10 million grant aimed at assisting civil society organizations that conduct mercenary spyware threat research and advocacy. 

In addition to the grant to the Dignity and Justice Fund, which the Ford Foundation established to pool philanthropic resources to advance social justice globally, Apple will provide any damages awarded from its lawsuit against NSO Group to support organizations that investigate, expose, and prevent highly targeted cyberattacks, including those created by private companies developing state-sponsored mercenary spyware. The Dignity and Justice Fund, a fiscally sponsored project of the nonprofit New Venture Fund, expects to make its first grants late this year or early in 2023, initially funding approaches to help expose mercenary spyware and protect potential targets. 

“The global spyware trade targets human rights defenders, journalists, and dissidents; it facilitates violence, reinforces authoritarianism, and supports political repression,” said Ford Foundation director of technology and society Lori McGlinchey. “The Ford Foundation is proud to support this extraordinary initiative to bolster civil society research and advocacy to resist mercenary spyware. We must build on Apple’s commitment, and we invite companies and donors to join the Dignity and Justice Fund and bring additional resources to this collective fight.”

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