NSO Group defends Pegasus
Blurb: Says millions carefree because of such surveillance technologies
Jerusalem, July 24
Amid the raging controversy over its surveillance software Pegasus, Israeli cybersecurity company NSO Group has defended itself, saying millions of people around the world sleep well at night and walk in the streets safely due to such technologies available with intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
The company also stated that it did not operate the technology nor did it have access to the data collected by its clients.
The alleged use of the Pegasus software to spy on journalists, human rights defenders, politicians and others in a number of countries, including India, has triggered concerns over issues relating to privacy.
Politicians, rights activists and journalists were among those targeted with phone spyware sold to various governments by the Israeli firm, according to an international media consortium.
“Millions of people around the world are sleeping well at night, and safely walking in the streets, thanks to Pegasus and similar technologies that help intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies around the world to prevent and investigate crime, terrorism, and paedophilia rings that are hiding under the umbrella of end-to-end encryption apps,” a spokesperson for NSO said.
“NSO, together with many of the other cyber intelligence companies in the world, provides cyber intelligence tools for governments because law enforcement agencies around the world are in the dark and there’s no regulatory solution that allows them to monitor malicious acts on instant messaging and social media”, the company said.
“We are doing our best to help create a safer world,” it said. PTI
