Israel’s investigating authorities are investigating the database of a local IT company, NSO, famous for developing and selling Pegasus, a popular spyware designed to hack iPhones and other smartphones. The possibility of hacking the devices of several Israeli citizens, including top politicians, is being studied.
Image source: nsogroup.com
The NSO, which denies any criminal use of its software, has repeatedly said it only sold the software to government organizations to fight terrorism and organized crime. At the same time, local and world media accuse the company of illegibility in the choice of clients, due to which the authorities of some countries could illegally monitor journalists, politicians and human rights activists. In particular, the FBI recently admitted to using the “trial version”.
In Israel, the Calcalist newspaper said without citing sources that local police used Pegasus without a warrant against public figures, including the son of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Benjamin Netanyahu) and two confidants of the politician.
Now Netanyahu is on trial in connection with three episodes of corruption, although the politician himself does not admit guilt. The publication in Calcalist led to the fact that the court was forced to cancel the meeting so that the investigation could respond to defense requests about whether there was any evidence against the politician, the sources of which were the results of illegal electronic hacking.
However, the Department of Justice has already said that an internal investigation did not reveal actions without a warrant against anyone. More than 1,500 numbers are known to have been tested. Netanyahu, now leading the opposition, has demanded an independent external investigation into the use of the Pegasus software.
The oversight bodies involved in the Netanyahu case have asked the court until Wednesday for a more complete response, according to the Justice Department, saying that the materials must first be declassified.
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