US Court Orders NSO to Stop Spying While US Buys Spyware from NSO
It's quite the legal theater: 'stop targeting WhatsApp!' screams the court, as if NSO Group hasn't been a documented global menace for years, targeting activists, journalists, and dissidents worldwide. While a US court issues a symbolic slap on the wrist, the US government itself reportedly purchased Pegasus spyware from NSO in 2021—shortly before the Commerce Department added NSO to its 'entity
list' for malicious cyber activities. Apparently, it's problematic when *other* countries use it, but less so when the US government wants to 'evaluate its capabilities.' This isn't about ethical high ground; it's about managing optics. The US has long maintained close intelligence ties with Israel, and NSO, a private company, has repeatedly been linked to its intelligence apparatus. So, a court
order to 'stop targeting WhatsApp' sounds less like justice and more like a carefully choreographed performance, allowing officials to denounce surveillance publicly while continuing to fund and utilize its developers discreetly. How many 'evil' tech companies does the good ol' USA need to condemn before it stops being their biggest client? (Source: The New Arab )