Israeli authorities have actively intervened and seized secret documents, preventing sensitive information and state secrets from being revealed in ongoing legal proceedings against the Israeli spy company NSO Group.
NSO Group, known for developing the Pegasus spyware, has long claimed that its software is used to fight crime and terrorism, but in practice Pegasus has been linked mainly to the surveillance of journalists, human rights activists and political dissidents.
The Israeli company has faced lawsuits in both the US and other countries, with companies such as WhatsApp and Apple accusing NSO of hacking their users.
Ordered seizure of documents at NSO offices
A report published by Forbidden Stories reveals, among other things, that in July 2020 the Israeli government ordered the seizure of documents from the NSO’s offices to prevent sensitive information from being leaked to the public in the US lawsuit between WhatsApp and NSO.
Through a discovery request from a California court, internal documents from the NSO were at risk of becoming public, and Israeli authorities also issued a publication ban to protect what they described as “national security interests”.
“Such revelations call into question Israel’s commitment to impartially regulate NSO Group and casts doubt on its ability to provide justice, truth and reparation to those affected by Pegasus spyware”, commented Donncha Ó Cearbhaill of Amnesty International.
“Chilling effect on accountability”
Furthermore, earlier in September 2024, tech giant Apple decided to withdraw its own lawsuit against the spyware company, reportedly basing that decision on the heightened risks it saw in the process following revelations of Israel’s heavy-handed intervention in Pegasus-related court cases.
Amnesty International expressed disappointment at Apple’s decision, with Cearbhaill saying that “it’s disappointing to lose yet another opportunity to hold spyware abusers accountable in court”.
– NSO’s efforts to obtain sensitive evidence on abuse investigations from civil society researchers and defenders also has a chilling effect on accountability efforts, as seen here with Apple. We call on NSO Group, the Israeli authorities, and all actors in the cyber surveillance industry to engage honestly and openly with these long overdue accountability efforts, added Cearbhaill.