As per reports, the CIO of ExpressVPN is said to be one of the three US intelligence operatives and military members accused of helping the UAE government spy on its enemies.
Daniel Gericke, CIO of ExpressVPN, was a former US military member charged with spying and fined about $1.6 million by the US Department of Justice. Yet, ExpressVPN defends its CIO and says the trust in him remains strong.
ExpressVPN CIO Involvement in Project Raven
Disclosed in 2019, Project Raven is a mission of developing and deploying spying tools by the UAE government against its enemies worldwide. These include human rights activists and others who advocate against the UAE’s harsh human rights actions.
After investigation, the three US intelligence operatives and military members were involved in helping this mission work, and one among them was ExpressVPN’s CIO, Daniel Gericke.
While the US Department of Justice tagged him as a US intelligence operative, he’s actually belonged to the former US military, as clarified by the ExpressVPN later. The virtual private network service went on to defend Gericke’s position in the case and the company.
They said Gericke’s earlier experience in the US military had helped them a lot, and his hire was invaluable. In a statement to CNET, ExpressVPN said,
“We were confident at the time and continue to be confident now in Daniel’s desire and ability to contribute to our mission of enabling users to better protect their privacy and security. He has demonstrated nothing but professionalism and commitment to advancing our ability to keep user data safe and private. Our trust in Daniel remains strong.”
Yet, the press release by the US Department of Justice revealed that the three accused members of Project Raven have agreed to pay the fine of $1.6 million and settle the prosecution. Further, they’ve been forfeited foreign and US security clearances and face future employment restrictions.
