Several law enforcement agencies in Europe have halted the use of Oxygen Forensics, which has been criticized for concealing its Russian ownership. This decision was made following revelations about the company's spying services that had been sold to police forces across the continent.
National Agency Decisions
The National Anti-Corruption Directorate of Romania (DNA) announced that due to new information released about this company, it has initiated the necessary processes to terminate its contract with Oxygen's "Detective" software. This software is used for extracting and analyzing data from mobile phones in criminal investigations. The agency's last annual license, costing €13,000, was purchased on August 27.
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The DNA agency clarified that investigations have shown no evidence that the data extracted or processed using Oxygen software has been compromised.
International Reactions
In Latvia, the state police have suspended the use of the mentioned software and are evaluating the continued use of this technology. London police have also stopped using Oxygen and have initiated a full investigation. The National Police Chiefs' Council in the UK has also advised police forces to conduct their assessments regarding this technology.
These decisions came after new reports indicated that Oxygen, based in Virginia, has been secretly under the control and management of Russia and has participated in digital evidence projects supported by the European Union. U.S. officials claim that Oxygen's Russian ownership was concealed following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Political pressure is mounting. Saskia Bricmont, a representative of the Greens in Belgium, has called on European governments to immediately stop using Oxygen and investigate whether sensitive information has leaked to Russia. She also criticized the European Commission for ignoring previous warnings from civil society about Oxygen's Russian connections.
A spokesperson for the Commission previously noted that the company is not a member of any EU-supported consortia and has not received any funding from the Union. However, Oxygen is still listed on the websites of both relevant projects.
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