US blacklisting maker of spyware
Israel-based technology and spyware company and NSO Group has been blacklisted by the US Department of Commerce by adding it to the Entity List for Malicious Cyber Activities. The company has been accused of selling phone-hacking software used to target politicians, activists and journalists. Washington-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) welcomed the decision.
“We hope this first step in export control is a move toward greater global oversight and transparency around the export and use of spyware by governments”,
“CPJ welcomes the Department of Commerce’s decision to impose export controls on NSO Group for developing and supplying Pegasus spyware to foreign governments that maliciously used the technology to target journalists”. said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna.
“We hope this first step in export control is a move toward greater global oversight and transparency around the export and use of spyware by governments.”
NSO has argued it sells only to vetted government and law enforcement agencies. In an email to CPJ, the company said: “NSO Group is dismayed by the decision given that our technologies support US national security interests and policies by preventing terrorism and crime, and thus we will advocate for this decision to be reversed.”
Moonshot News is an independent European news website for all IT, Media and Advertising professionals, powered by women and with a focus on driving the narrative for diversity, inclusion and gender equality in the industry.
Our mission is to provide top and unbiased information for all professionals and to make sure that women get their fair share of voice in the news and in the spotlight!
We produce original content, news articles, a curated calendar of industry events and a database of women IT, Media and Advertising associations.
