Nairobi, Feb. 19 -- The business of unethically and illegally spying on people's private digital lives through their devices is booming, and journalists, activists, and opposition politicians are now the main target, a new report by Google shows.

Commercial Surveillance Vendors (CSVs), businesses which exist only to develop and deploy spyware tools, have surged over the last decade, buoyed by governments from across the globe, which have become their main clients.

Google's "Buying Spying" report published last week reveals how CSVs have silently been sprouting in the shadows, enabled by authoritarian governments seeking to keep dissidents in check and control the media.

The report reveals that these companies appear to be legitimate an...