Israeli Spyware Firm Adopts 'Human Rights Policy'
Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2019 9:57 am
Yasin Aktay, an advisor to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaks during an event organized to mark the 40th day of the death of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi, in Istanbul, late Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018.
JERUSALEM - An Israeli spyware company that has been accused of helping authoritarian governments stifle dissent says it has adopted "a new human rights policy" to ensure its software is not misused.
The NSO Group said Tuesday it would institute a series of oversight measures to ensure adherence and would henceforth evaluate potential clients' "past human rights performance."
Khashoggi Friend Says Israeli Spyware Played Role in His Killing
An Israeli software company calls the allegation that its spyware played a part in the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi "unfounded."
A fellow Saudi dissident and Khashoggi friend living in exile in Canada — Omar Abdelaziz — is suing NSO Group, alleging the Saudi government used NSO's Pegasus spyware to track his and Khashoggi's movements and communications.
The two dissidents had been working on a pro-opposition project targeting the Saudi government and calling for democracy in the kingdom.
Abdulaziz says Saudi authorities used Pegasus to track their communications and believes it
NSO has come under fire in the past year for selling its surveillance software to repressive governments who use it against dissidents. It does not disclose clients, but they are believed to include Middle Eastern and Latin American states. A Saudi dissident has accused NSO of involvement in Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing last year.
The company says its product is used by law enforcement and intelligence agencies to fight "crime and terrorism."