Particularly alarming is the realization that many of the tracks left by the unscrupulous spyware providers lead to Germany, the self-proclaimed cradle of data protection and informational self-determination. There, an extremely well-connected Hamburg entrepreneur invested in two companies involved in the scandal, and an art-loving patron from Berlin supplied significant amounts of money to support the development of the spyware.
Our reporting into the Predator Files took several months and is based on thousands of court documents, interrogation transcripts and confidential company presentations. It has revealed that European business executives have earned a fortune by equipping countries that flout the rule of law and despots with the latest surveillance tools for more than a decade.
Financed, supported and advised by people in Germany, these companies ultimately joined forces in an alliance that helped to spy on a grand scale. Known as the Intellexa Alliance, the collaboration is likely one of the most mysterious and dangerous ventures in Europe."
