According to a report published by Reuters , Mozilla blocked the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from becoming one of its online security watchdogs after discovering a government-created spyware program. Mozilla announced the rejection in a statement earlier in July, also telling Firefox browser users that they were safe from attacks.
If the United Arab Emirates were to become one of Mozilla Firefox's cyber guardians, they intended to use DarkMatter , which was discovered to have been involved in a government hacking called Project Raven. DarkMatter used many former US intelligence officials with shady pasts as personnel for Project Raven.
Reuters reported earlier this year that DarkMatter had used Project Raven to hack the accounts of human rights activists, journalists and officials from rival governments, including the US. DarkMatter denied any involvement in the case and said the claims were false and misleading.
Mozilla's senior director of engineering said that articles published by Reuters, the New York Times and the Intercept reporting on malicious activity had forced the company to reconsider its relationship with it and that they were no longer sure whether they should trust DarkMatter.
Websites that want to be officially labeled “secure” must go through a certification process in which an external organization, such as DarkMatter, verifies the site and guarantees its security. But if that external certification body is involved in oversight, websites that mimic banks and email services can be compromised, allowing the company to spy on users and hackers to intercept data.
Benjamin Gabriel, general counsel at DarkMatter, said Mozilla's decision shows a bias towards the company.
