Pegasus spyware, developed by NSO group, an Israeli cyber-arms company, is the most aggressive surveillance tool in the world. It allows an entity to covertly tap into the contents of an individual’s cell phone. This technology provides access to every phone call and text message the target has made. It can even be used to film the target through the camera on their cell phone. Because this tool is so invasive, it’s use is also highly regulated.
The big news out of Israel this week is that the Jerusalem police acknowledged they had used Pegasus spyware to tap the phones of several key witnesses in the government’s corruption trial of former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu without obtaining a warrant. This revelation caused the presiding judge to postpone the trial, which was set to begin on Tuesday, for at least one week. This story was reported by The Washington Post.
Fox News’ Sean Hannity revealed on his Tuesday night show that the FBI has obtained Pegasus spyware. This is especially frightening given the FBI’s history of illegally spying on both candidate and President Donald Trump as well as their framing of Gen. Michael Flynn. Use of this tool negates the need for agents to apply to the FISA Court for surveillance warrants. The knowledge that FBI Director Christopher Wray has his hands on this technology is extremely disturbing.
Hannity said Pegasus might be “the single most powerful and controversial spyware ever developed.”
“Once it has access to your phone, it can allegedly copy your messages and your photos, track your location, record your conversations through the microphone even when you’re not on the phone. And get this, it can even film you secretly through your own phone’s camera.”
He featured a report from ABC News which said that “the FBI has confirmed purchasing NSO Group’s powerful spyware tool Pegasus, whose chronic abuse to hack journalists, dissidents and human rights activists has long been established.”
In response to The Guardian’s request for comment, the FBI released a statement which read in part:
The FBI works diligently to stay abreast of emerging technologies and tradecraft — not just to explore a potential legal use but also to combat crime and to protect both the American people and our civil liberties. That means we routinely identify, evaluate, and test technical solutions and services for a variety of reasons, including possible operational and security concerns they might pose in the wrong hands.
The FBI procured a limited license for product testing and evaluation only, there was no operational use in support of any investigation. Since our testing and evaluation is complete, and we chose not to proceed with use of the software, the license is no longer active. Accordingly, the software is no longer functional.
We believe you Chris.
For good reason, human rights advocates have been opposed to the use of Pegasus from the get-go.
ABC spoke to Ron Deibert, director of Citizen Lab, the University of Toronto internet watchdog that has exposed dozens of Pegasus hacks since 2016. He said:
Spending millions of dollars to line the pockets of a company that is widely known to serially facilitate widespread human rights abuses, possible criminal acts, and operations that threaten the U.S.’s own national security is definitely troubling.
At the very least, this seems like a terribly counterproductive, irresponsible, and ill-conceived way to keep abreast of surveillance tech.
Last week, The New York Times reported the FBI paid $5 million to NSO Group in 2019 for a one-year license, according to ABC. The Guardian quoted “a source familiar with the deal” as saying the FBI paid $4 million to renew the license.
“NSO Group has said Pegasus is programmed not to target phones with the +1 U.S. country code, but American citizens living abroad have been among its victims,” the report said.
Hannity discussed the scandal brewing in Israel over the use of Pegasus to target witnesses and then blackmail them into testifying against Netanyahu. He predicted that it won’t be long before these same types of scandals begin to play out in the U.S.
Considering the number of times FBI officials have lied to us in just the past five years, I don’t doubt it.
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