Thursday, March 28

Israeli Citizens Targeted By Police Using Pegasus Spyware, Report Claims | Surveillance


Israeli police allegedly conducted warrantless wiretaps of Israeli citizens, including politicians and activists, using the NSO group’s controversial Pegasus spyware, according to an investigation by the Israeli business media site Calcalist.

Among those described as targets in the report are local mayors, leaders of political protests against former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former government employees.

According to the report, the surveillance was carried out without the judicial oversight required for Israeli citizens and without control over how the data was used, a claim explicitly denied by the Israeli police service and a government minister.

A separate report in the Israeli daily Haaretz, based on an invoice seen by the paper, suggested that the NSO group billed the Israeli police for 2.7 million shekels (£635,000) in 2013, apparently for a basic version of the program.

While numerous reports have surfaced of the misuse of Pegasus spyware, designed and sold by Israel’s NSO group to foreign governments, the latest claims mark a major shift in suggesting that Israelis were also targeted for interception.

Senior NSO officials have claimed that their software was not authorized for use against Israeli and American phone numbers. Last July, its chief executive, Shalev Hulio, said that his firm “has chosen not to operate against Israeli and American phone numbers.”

Although the report does not mention its sources, it does state that the order to use the spyware was given by high-ranking officials and carried out by police electronic interception specialists.

The claim is highly significant because, for the first time, it contradicts assurances given to Israelis that Pegasus would not be able to attack them and would seem to challenge the understanding that Israelis are protected from warrantless intrusion.

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Underlining the implications of the story, commented the Jerusalem Post: “[This] The stunning report, if true, would drive holes in a number of NSO, law enforcement, and possibly state prosecution narratives about the proper balance between gathering evidence and respecting citizens’ privacy rights and judicial protections. against unlawful searches and seizures.

Under Israeli law, only the country’s internal intelligence agency, the Shin Bet, has the authority to carry out this type of cell phone hacking without a warrant and only then to prevent imminent terror attacks by Palestinians, Israeli Arabs, or Jews. Israelis, with interception requiring the approval of a senior Shin Bet official or the attorney general’s office.

However, the Israeli police service does not have such an exemption and must apply for a court order.

According to the report, the police may have justified their use of the spyware through a loophole that existed because the technology was not covered by existing laws.

A statement released by the Israeli police service, while denying warrantless wiretapping, refused to discuss whether Pegasus had been used for wiretapping.

“The Israel Police acts in accordance with the authority granted to it by law and, when necessary, in accordance with court orders and within the rules and regulations established by the responsible agencies,” the statement said.

“Police activity in this sector is under constant supervision and inspection by Israel’s attorney general and other external legal entities.

“Naturally, the police do not intend to comment on the tools they use. However, we will continue to act decisively with all the means at our disposal, in physical spaces and online, to combat crime in general and organized crime in particular, to protect the safety and property of citizens.”

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A statement by Israel’s public security minister, Omer Barlev, also focused on the issue of warrantless wiretapping, saying “Israeli police did not engage in secret wiretapping or device intrusion without the approval of a judge.” ”.

“At the same time, I intend to ensure that no shortcuts are taken on the NSO issue and that everything will be thoroughly and unequivocally reviewed by a judge,” he added.

Among the investigations mentioned by the investigation was the use of Pegasus to target a local mayor during a corruption investigation, with the recovered evidence allegedly whitewashed to cover up how it had been obtained.

According to the report, the police first acquired the Pegasus software in 2013, which they began using in 2015.

Perhaps most shocking to Israelis is the claim that the phones of prominent citizen activists in the “Black Flag” protest, which emerged during a surge in coronavirus cases, an economic crisis and a corruption trial in Israel, were among the targets. course against Netanyahu.

In a statement issued by NSO after the investigation was published, it reiterated its longstanding claim that it had no information about how its clients used its spyware.

“As a general rule, we do not comment on existing or potential clients. We would like to clarify that the company does not operate the systems that its customers have and is not involved in their activation.

“Company employees are not exposed to targets, are not exposed to information about them, and are not involved in or exposed to the operational activity of our clients or any information related to investigations conducted by clients.

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“The company sells its products under license and supervision for use by national security and law enforcement agencies to prevent crime and terror legally and in accordance with court orders and the local law of each country” .


www.theguardian.com

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