CyberScoop reports that mounting congressional action against spyware developers may help discourage business even though improper utilization of the commercial surveillance technology may be challenging to combat. "Many companies like [Israeli spyware maker NSO Group] see entering the U.S. market as the ultimate prize and what we've seen so far is that the U.S. government does have the ability to chill investment interest in bad actors, and thats really important. If we're casting around looking for ways to sort of pump the brakes on the proliferation, I think these are very promising ways to start doing that," said University of Toronto Citizen Lab researcher John Scott-Railton, who will be testifying about spyware at a House Intelligence hearing. Meanwhile, Atlantic Council Cyber Statecraft Initiative Fellow Justin Sherman noted that legislation aimed at cutting the revenue streams of spyware makers could effectively curtail developers. " This is especially important given that many democracies don't seem to care to do enough to crack down on commercial spyware and related technologies sold from within their borders," said Sherman.