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The Israeli lawmaker has said he will ask the police about the use of the NSO Group’s hacking tool on Israeli citizens.
The Israeli parliament will ask the police for explanations about the use of a controversial hacking tool by the forces against the country’s citizens, a senior lawmaker said.
Without citing any sources, the financial newspaper Calcalist said on Tuesday that police had a Pegasus spyware made by the Israeli NSO Group – which is now up and running. U.S. government blacklist -Since 2013.
Calcalist said police have used it against targets, including leaders of anti-government protests, sometimes without the necessary court order.
The report added a new domestic angle to global pressure on Israel after it complained Pegasus has been abused some foreign government clients to spy on human rights activists, journalists and politicians.
Responding to the Calcalist report, Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai said the force had acquired third-party cyber technology, but stopped to confirm or deny any use of Pegasus.
All of this follow-up activity, he said in a statement, “is done in accordance with the law … for example, in the case of covert hearing, a petition is filed in a court, which examines the matter.”
The newspaper’s report denied that police had used spies against the leaders of the so-called “Black Flag” protests last year, demanding the resignation of then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and that he is on trial. corruption charges he has refused.
In an Israeli Channel 12 news program, MP Meirav Ben Ari said the parliamentary public safety committee, which is chaired by the president, will meet there next week to ask the police about the Calcalist report.
“Many members of parliament have approached me today. It is a very worrying event that raises concerns about the violation of privacy and democracy, “said Ben Arik.
“The police, as they do every time they come to my hearings, will explain.”
The NSO said it could not confirm or deny existing or potential customers. He said he does not operate the system once it is sold to customers in his government, nor is he involved in the operation of the system in any way.
“The NSO sells its products under license and regulations to intelligence and law enforcement agencies in accordance with court orders and the laws of its countries to prevent terror and crime,” he said.
The Calcalist report sparked a stir on Israel’s political spectrum.
Cabinet Minister Karine Elharrar told Israeli Army Radio that such surveillance was “something that a democratic country cannot accept.”
Opposition lawmaker Yuval Steinitz said law enforcement is inappropriate for caring for citizens without judicial custody and that if the claims are correct, they should be investigated.
Public Security Minister Omer Barlev, whose department oversees police, tweeted that police would verify that he had received explicit permission from a judge to use espionage.
Last month, a group of U.S. lawmakers called on the Treasury and the State Department to punish NSOs and three other foreign surveillance companies for helping authoritarian governments commit human rights violations.
In November, Apple sued the NSO for violating U.S. law by breaking software installed on iPhones.
NSO has also been sued by Microsoft Corp., Facebook Platforms Inc. for parent Facebook, Alphabet Inc. for Google Parents, and Cisco Systems Inc. for legal action.
He had a Watchdog Citizen Lab before in recent years he has exposed the use of Pegasus to address journalists, human rights defenders, diplomats and dissidents.
The targets were Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico and the United States.
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