No More NSO Group Spying
Petition to President Biden:
We urge you to sanction NSO Group, so that no US companies or investment funds can collaborate with the company. NSO Group’s history of privacy violations and spying on human rights advocates makes it clear that no US entity should be involved in their abuses.
NSO Group may be reading this email.
The Israeli spyware firm was recently exposed for spying on Palestinian human rights activists, and in the past has spied on dissidents across the world.1The Saudi government used NSO Group's software to spy on Jamal Khashoggi, who was later assassinated by the Saudis.2
Now we learn NSO Group's software was just discovered on US State Department officials' phones.3 It's time for action. Tell Biden and Congress: Don't let American companies profit from spyware!
NSO Group is one of the most nefarious spyware firms in the world. Their software can take control of a smartphone simply by sending the device a text message--the user would not have to even open the message in order for their phone to be compromised.4 And US companies are currently profiting from their invasions of privacy.5
Apple is suing NSO Group for hacking its users' devices. While this is good news, it's not enough to protect us from NSO Group's nefarious spying. We need the federal government to take a bold stance against spyware.
Tell Biden and Congress: Don't let American companies profit from spyware!
Israeli spytech firms are closely tied to the Israeli military, and their technology is often tested on Palestinians before being sold to other militaries. Israel has a track record of selling their military technology to human rights abusers, from Myanmar to the UAE.6 And American companies are profiting from it.
While the Biden administration has banned American companies from collaborating directly with NSO Group, they are still allowed to invest in the surveillance company. Many investment firms, including the fund manager for the Oregon state pension fund, have millions of dollars invested in NSO Group.7
Biden has taken the first step in addressing NSO Group's spying by blacklisting the company. Members of Congress, including Senator Ron Wyden and Representatives Jamie Raskin and Katie Porter, have argued for sanctioning the spytech firm so that no American investors can profit from their spying.8
We know that NSO Group's actions are unforgivable. That's why we need to make sure that Americans are not profiting from spyware. There's momentum right now, because NSO Group is in the news for compromising US State Department officials' phones. Can you help us make sure American corporations aren't profiting from surveillance?
Tell Biden and Congress: Don't let corporations support NSO Group's spying!
Sources:
1. The Associated Press, "Report: NSO spyware found on 6 Palestinian activists' phones," November 8, 2021.
2. The Guardian, "Saudis behind NSO spyware attack on Jamal Khashoggi's family, leak suggests," July 18, 2021.
3, 4. Reuters, "U.S. State Department phones hacked with Israeli company spyware - sources," December 3, 2021.
5. The New York Times, "U.S. Blacklists Israeli Firm NSO Group Over Spyware," November 3, 2021.
6. Reuters, "U.S. lawmakers call for sanctions against Israel's NSO, other spyware firms," December 15, 2021.
7. The New York Times, "U.S. Blacklists Israeli Firm NSO Group Over Spyware," November 3, 2021.
8. The Office of Tom Malinowski, "Enough Is Enough – Joint Statement from Representatives Tom Malinowski, Katie Porter, Joaquin Castro and Anna G. Eshoo on the Abuses Linked to the Nso Group's Pegasus Spyware," July 26, 2021.