Apple and FBI Grilled By Lawmakers Over Spyware From Israeli NSO Group

The two biggest firms Apple and the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) are being grilled by the Republican lawmakers for leaking the information about the spyware made by Israeli company NSO group. 

As per the reports a letter has been received, dated Thursday, and signed by Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Ranking members of Judiciary Committee along with Mike Johnson, ranking member of the subcommittee on civil rights. This was reported earlier this year when the FBI was accused of acquiring surveillance technology from the NSO Group.

The letter issued by Apple said:

“The Committee is examining the FBI’s acquisition, testing, and use of NSO’s spyware, and potential civil liberty implications of the use of Pegasus or Phantom against U.S. persons.”

In the last few months, an investigation was done, which discovered that NSO’s software program was being used against activists and journalists in order to hack their phones. Although, the NSO denied giving any evidence from where they got the information. Also, the company was blacklisted by the Biden administration in which he said that the company did wrong by supplying its technology to the foreign government you are using it maliciously and targeting the phones of journalists and activists.

This technology is known as Pegasus, which is used as a spy tool for hacking the Apple iOS or Android phones that too without clicking on the malware link. It also enabled the access of messages on the encrypted applications making it severely dangerous. The report also added that the Israeli government also issued permission for the Phanme in order to target the US phones, which cannot be done by Pegasus.

Furthermore, in one of the letters to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Jordan and Johnson said, “deeply troubling and presents significant risks to the civil liberties of U.S. persons.”

Apart from this, the FBI also bought and tested the Pegasus technology if it is successful or not, and once it is done they decided to oppose it.

An FBI spokesperson also added – 

“Not only to explore potential legal use, but also to combat crime and protect both Americans and our civil liberties. We are considering technology.”