NSO Group

NSO Group is an Israeli technology company that develops surveillance and intelligence software sold exclusively to government agencies, including law enforcement and intelligence organizations. The company is best known for Pegasus, a mobile spyware tool capable of covertly accessing smartphones to collect data such as messages, calls, location, and media. NSO markets its products as tools to assist governments in monitoring criminal and terrorist activity. NSO frames its work around the challenge of encrypted communications used by targets of law enforcement, referencing concerns raised by the Five Eyes (FVEY) intelligence alliance regarding the "going dark" problem — the widening gap between legally authorized surveillance capability and the technical ability to access encrypted data. The company positions its technology as being designed and operated by telecommunications and intelligence professionals, and claims its products are intended solely for licensed government customers for lawful interception and counter-terrorism purposes. NSO Group has been the subject of significant controversy and legal scrutiny. Its Pegasus spyware has been documented by researchers at Citizen Lab and Amnesty International as being used against journalists, human rights activists, and political dissidents, in addition to criminal targets.