Report: Israeli Spy Company Sold Software to Gulf Regimes

The Israeli-based cyber company NSO has been selling its advanced Pegasus 3 software to oppressive regimes and authoritarian governments throughout the Middle East, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Sunday. According to the paper’s investigation, the company, founded and staffed almost entirely by retired Israeli military officers, was aided and actively supported by Israeli government officials, who facilitated connections and brokered meetings between Saudi, Omani, and Bahraini representatives, among others, and NSO workers. The Pegasus 3 software allows its possessor to infiltrate cellphones and access any data on the device. According to the report, several of the governments in business with NSO used its software to locate, track and eventually silence opposition leaders. NSO refuted the charges and claimed its technology was used only to battle terrorism and serious crime.