Israeli Government’s Efforts to Block Pegasus Spyware Disclosure
Seizure of Documents
The Israeli government took significant steps to hinder a US lawsuit that threatened to reveal secrets about the Pegasus spyware, according to leaked files. Officials seized documents from NSO Group, the manufacturer of Pegasus, to prevent the company from complying with a US court’s demands for information about the technology. The seizures aimed to prevent “serious diplomatic and security damage” to Israel.
Pegasus Spyware
Pegasus allows clients to infect smartphones with software that extracts messages and photos, records calls, and activates microphones secretly. The technology has been used by both authoritarian regimes and democratic countries, linked to human rights abuses worldwide. NSO has denied allegations made by WhatsApp that it used a vulnerability in the messaging service to target over 1,400 users in 20 countries.
Government and NSO Collaboration
The removal of files from NSO’s offices in July 2020, hidden from the public by a gag order, highlights the close ties between Israel and NSO. The seizures followed discussions on how to respond to WhatsApp’s requests for internal files, raising questions about coordination to conceal information from US legal proceedings.
US Legal Battle
Rod Rosenstein, a former US deputy attorney general and NSO’s lawyer, asked if the Israeli government would “come to the rescue” in the legal battle with WhatsApp. The intervention by Israel is revealed through a consortium of media organizations, including the Guardian, which obtained a secret court order related to the 2020 seizure of NSO’s files.
Details of the Seizures
A hacktivist group, Anonymous for Justice, posted emails and documents online, revealing Israel’s behind-the-scenes activities in the WhatsApp case. WhatsApp accused NSO of resisting its obligations to share internal files as part of the discovery process. Israel’s intervention has hindered WhatsApp’s ability to compel NSO to hand over crucial information.
Reactions and Further Actions
A spokesperson for NSO stated that the company could not comment on the seizures. The justice ministry rejected claims of obstructing US legal proceedings. Scott Horton, a US lawyer, suggested that NSO is an integral part of the Israeli defense establishment.
Impact on the Case
Israel’s actions have significantly impacted the case. NSO argued that Israeli law restrictions limited its participation in discovery. WhatsApp’s lawyers claimed they had not received relevant documents and accused NSO of refusing to participate meaningfully in discovery.
The ongoing legal battle continues to uncover the complex connections between the Israeli government, NSO, and the Pegasus spyware.