Sentinel Alliance
Sentinel Alliance is the first international association founded by victims of mercenary spyware born to fight its abuse.
Sentinel Alliance is the first international association founded by victims of mercenary spyware born to fight its abuse.
OUR MISSION
Unite victims of mercenary spyware abuse to defend their digital rights and freedoms, amplify awareness of surveillance threats against civil society, and drive regulatory change through strategic action.
ABOUT US
Established in 2024, Sentinel is an action-oriented swiss-based nonprofit association dedicated to defending digital rights, privacy, and democratic oversight in the face of escalating threats posed by abusive surveillance, disinformation, and lawfare. We advocate for strong individual privacy rights while championing openness, oversight, and responsible innovation practices that ensure the power of technology is harnessed for the greater good.
Sentinel serves as an independent voice to denounce the abuses, while championing user privacy, free expression, and open-source innovation. We strive to raise global awareness, advocate for regulatory reforms, and empower individuals and communities to resist unlawful surveillance practices and legal intimidation.
We were established to respond to the growing threat that these technologies pose to civil society and fundamental rights. Our aim is to unite all victims of spyware—without distinction of profession, political affiliation, or jurisdiction.
We strive to increase awareness of this issue, achieve effective change through regulatory reforms, prevent future abuses, and ensure surveillance technologies are subject to strict oversight and regulation. Sentinel offers a shared space for all victims to process the initial impact, find avenues for action, and channel proactive responses to aid in repair and prevention.
Funded by the victims’ own resources and private donations—with no affiliation to political parties or public institutions—Sentinel brings together the unique expertise of entrepreneurs, communication professionals, activists, and legal experts in our efforts to:
Advocate for robust privacy protections, transparent oversight mechanisms, and the proper tailoring of surveillance laws and regulations to prevent abuse.
Raise awareness among policymakers, media, and the public about the urgent need for strong privacy safeguards and democratic oversight in an age of powerful and pervasive surveillance technologies.
Combat lawfare and disinformation campaigns that can stifle academic research, open-source development, and free expression in the technology industry.
Defend the rights of developers, researchers, and all individuals to publish, share, and discuss code freely without fear of legal repercussions.
Foster open-source innovation and collaborative development of privacy-enhancing and freedom-enhancing technologies that empower individuals to protect their rights.
Through visibility campaigns and strategic legal action, we work tirelessly to defend digital rights, privacy, and democratic oversight against the escalating threats of abusive surveillance, disinformation, and lawfare.
Joan Arús
President & Spokesperson
With over 17 years of international entrepreneurial experience, Joan Arús has built and scaled companies from the ground up across the retail, food, and technology sectors. After witnessing first-hand the physical and technological repression of the Catalan Independence Referendum, in 2018 Joan co-founded Vocdoni, the world's first universally verifiable voting protocol. Despite facing surveillance and misinformation campaigns in Spain due to this work, he led Vocdoni to a successful acquisition by the Aragon Project in 2020. As Executive Director at Aragon, he continued building governance and privacy tooling for digital organizations communities. Joan holds a degree in Human Biology with a master's specialization in Biomedicine Research from UPF, completed the Business Administration Program at Esade Business School, and earned a Postgraduate degree in Blockchain Technologies from UPC.
JOIN US
Are you a victim of mercenary spyware abuse or suspect you may have been? Reach out via this form so we can connect with you.
We envision a world where civil society is safeguarded from abusive surveillance, and fundamental rights and freedoms are upheld. Together, we can make this vision a reality—stand with us against spyware abuse and protect our shared freedoms.