Trump Diplomat Now Heads Spyware Firm, Because Of Course
David Friedman, Trump’s former ambassador to Israel, is now chairman of NSO Group, the company whose Pegasus spyware has been used by authoritarian regimes to hack journalists, dissidents, and human rights activists worldwide. MSNBC frames this as a new development, but US-Israeli tech transfer and defense cooperation has been a bedrock of foreign policy for decades, often blurring lines between
statecraft and highly questionable corporate ventures. Friedman’s appointment merely formalizes a relationship that has long existed in the shadows (See: the Biden administration adding NSO to its 'entity list' in November 2021, yet still reportedly using their tech). It appears the 'controversy' isn't about the spyware itself, but merely about who’s publicly associated with it this week. One
might wonder if the US government’s 'concerns' are simply for show when their former diplomats are so quick to join these operations. How many 'rules-based orders' can a country claim while its officials hop from government posts to companies enabling global surveillance?