Israeli Officials Deny Claims of Improper Spyware Use
New developments have emerged in the case of Israel Police allegedly using the flagship spyware of NSO Group, Pegasus, on its own citizens, with reported targets including critics of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, among others. Following a bombshell report by Israeli business publication Calcalist, high-ranking Israeli officials have denied parts of the allegations.
On Tuesday, Calcalist first reported that NSO spyware that can remotely infect smartphones was used by the nation's civilian police force, which allegedly conducted warrantless phone taps on Israeli politicians and activists, among others.
According to the report, NSO Group, which was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Commerce in November 2021, provided its spyware product to Israel Police in 2013, and it became operational by 2015, under then-Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh, who had previously served as deputy head of Shin Bet, the country's domestic intelligence agency.
