Israeli occupation police have for years been making widespread use of spyware made by the controversial NSO Group against Israelis, including those not suspected of crimes, exploiting a legal loophole and keeping the surveillance under tight secrecy without oversight by a court or a judge, an explosive investigation by the Calcalist business news website reported on Tuesday.
Among the reported targets were two mayors, organizers of weekly protests against former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, an associate of a senior politician, employees in governmental firms and other activists, according to the report.
In some cases, the company’s spyware was installed on civilians’ phones to obtain information unrelated to an existing investigation, with the purpose of using the information later as leverage against suspects in questioning.
In other cases, Israeli police obtained incriminating information using the spyware and later claimed the source of the information couldn’t be revealed since it would expose intelligence assets, the report added.
The Israeli company’s flagship spyware, Pegasus, is considered one of the most powerful cyber-surveillance tools available on the market, giving operators the ability to effectively take full control of a target’s phone, download all data from the device, or activate its camera or microphone without the user knowing.
The company has been involved in countless scandals in recent years and has faced a torrent of international criticism over allegations it helps governments, including dictatorships and authoritarian regimes, spy on dissidents and rights activists.
In November, the US Department of Commerce blacklisted NSO Group, adding it to the list of foreign companies that engage in “malicious cyber activities.”
Source: Israeli media
