(Bloomberg) -- The US will impose visa restrictions on individuals involved in the misuse of commercial spyware, according to a State Department announcement.

Spyware is a type of surveillance technology used to hack into mobile phones. It’s typically sold to law enforcement and government agencies for the stated purpose of catching criminals and terrorists. But critics say the technology is often misused to target government critics, rights activists, journalists and others.

The Biden administration has previously said more than 50 of its own diplomats and other US personnel on three continents were successfully targeted by spyware overseas. Last year, it issued an executive order banning government agencies from using commercial spyware in several instances. In 2021, the US Commerce Department blacklisted Israel’s NSO Group and Candiru because government customers were using the tools for malicious purposes.

Read More: US Bars Agencies from Buying Spyware from Blacklisted Companies

A senior administration official who requested anonymity to preview a coming announcement could not say what impact the visa restrictions might have but described travel to the US as an important element for those involved in the misuse of the technology. The official described the new visa ban policy as an important new step and one of several tools the US government is using to limit commercial spyware.

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