NSO Group hacking tool banned from exporting to Saudi Arabia
In response to the report, the Israeli Ministry of Defense said in a statement that it would take appropriate action when the uses stated in the export licenses were violated, but did not confirm the revocation of the licenses.
Israel has been under pressure to control spyware exports since July after international news organizations reported that NSO Group’s Pegasus software had been used to hack the phones of journalists, government officials and human rights activists in several countries.
The reports prompted Israel to review its cyber-export policy, which is overseen by the Ministry of Defense.
Morocco and the United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel last year, as well as Saudi Arabia and Mexico, are among the countries where Pegasus is said to have been used for political espionage, according to the Citizen Lab of the University of Toronto and Amnesty International. .
NSO Group has denied any wrongdoing, saying it sells its tools only to governments and law enforcement agencies and has taken steps to prevent abuse.
U.S. officials blacklisted the company this month for selling spyware to governments that have misused it.
According to Reuters, NSO Group has faced complaints and criticism from major US tech companies, which have accused the company of hacking into their customers. Apple is the latest company to sue the Israeli company.
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