Public Awareness Campaigns
Strategic, coordinated media and outreach campaigns designed to elevate global understanding of mercenary spyware threats and mobilize public opinion and key stakeholders against surveillance abuses (ongoing)
We believe that public awareness is a pre-requisite for achieving permanent regulatory change.
Our PR actions are focused in coordinating a trans-Atlantic communications strategy to expose the far-reaching implications of government mercenary spyware abuse.
The campaign aims to generate significant media attention both in the United States and the EU to foster dialogue and influence European Union policy decisions regarding digital surveillance practices. Key objectives include establishing aligned advocacy efforts with U.S. technology and civil society organizations while engaging American policymakers already concerned about government surveillance to motivate European Parliament action on spy software regulation.
The initiative features comprehensive communications activities including media training for spokespeople, briefings with civil rights groups and Capitol Hill and European Parliament lawmakers, congressional testimony opportunities, civil society sign-on letters, sustained earned media outreach, and op-ed placements in priority publications.
Additional components include university roundtables at institutions, interactive webinars with cybersecurity experts, and public panels featuring spyware victims to highlight personal experiences. The campaign timeline coordinates with media content launches, featuring structured preparation phases, embargo briefings with advocacy organizations, and strategic follow-up activities designed to maintain momentum and expand coalition support for surveillance reform measures.
Goals
- Increase sustained international and national media attention
- Shift public discourse to recognize spyware as a democratic threat, not just a privacy issue
- Build international pressure for policy reform
Expected Impact
- Influence legislative agendas in EU and US
- Increased political pressure for mercenary spyware moratoria and regulation
- Establish spyware abuse as mainstream human rights concern
Media Gallery
Parliament of Catalonia Hearing - European Union and Foreign Action Committee (CUEAE)
On March 6th 2025 Joan Arús took part in the hearing held by the European Union and Foreign Action Committee (CUEAE) of the Parliament of Catalonia, representing Sentinel Alliance. He exposed the dangers of government spyware and its implications for democratic societies. Drawing from his personal experience and that of the victims of the Catalangate scandal, Arús presented evidence of widespread surveillance abuse affecting over 65 Catalan citizens, including politicians, journalists, lawyers, and activists. The hearing reveals how mercenary spyware tools like Pegasus and Candiru are being used to undermine fundamental rights, with testimonies backed by forensic reports from Citizen Lab, Amnesty International, and the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Police). Arús explained how this surveillance ecosystem threatens not just privacy, but the very foundations of democratic governance and the rule of law. The intervention was followed by a round of question and answers, as parliamentary representatives asked about the implications of these revelations and considered what's at stake when government surveillance operates without proper oversight and accountability.
Roundtable on HBO Max Film “Surveilled”
On Friday, November 29, at 11:00 a.m., Sentinel Alliance hosted a roundtable discussion on the HBO documentary Surveilled — focused on surveillance and its threats, and featuring The New Yorker journalist Ronan Farrow. Participants included researcher Elies Campo, entrepreneur Joan Matamala, former Member of the European Parliament Jordi Solé, victims of surveillance who also appear in the documentary, and Elisenda Paluzie, herself also a victim. The discussion was moderated by journalist Josep Casulleras.
