Israel tried to frustrate US lawsuit over Pegasus spyware, leak suggestsThe Israeli government took extraordinary measures to frustrate a high-stakes US lawsuit that threatened to reveal closely guarded secrets about one of the world’s most notorious hacking tools, leaked files suggest.
Israeli officials seized documents about Pegasus spyware from its manufacturer, NSO Group, in an effort to prevent the company from being able to comply with demands made by WhatsApp in a US court to hand over information about the invasive technology.
Documents suggest the seizures were part of an unusual legal manoeuvre created by Israel to block the disclosure of information about Pegasus, which the government believed would cause “serious diplomatic and security damage” to the country.
Pegasus allows NSO clients to infect smartphones with hidden software that can extract messages and photos, record calls and secretly activate microphones. NSO’s clients have included both authoritarian regimes and democratic countries and the technology has been linked to human rights abuses around the world.
Since late 2019, NSO has been battling a lawsuit in the US brought by WhatsApp, which has alleged the Israeli company used a vulnerability in the messaging service to target more than 1,400 of its users in 20 countries over a two-week period. NSO has denied the allegations.
The removal of files and computers from NSO’s offices in July 2020 – until now hidden from the public by a strict gag order issued by an Israeli court – casts new light on the close ties between Israel and NSO and the overlapping interests of the privately owned surveillance company and the country’s security establishment.
The July 2020 seizures were made after Israeli officials and the company appear to have discussed how to respond to WhatsApp’s requests for NSO to disclose internal files about its spyware, raising questions about whether they coordinated to conceal certain information from US legal proceedings.
Will This Make Trump More Popular?
#politics #theintercept
posted by pod_feeder_v2Will This Make Trump More Popular?
Assassination attempts targeting populist leaders have had a track record of boosting their popularity.Murtaza Hussain (The Intercept)
The perpetrators intended to target shopping centers, gas stations, pharmacies, and markets in Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltic countries on the instruction of Russian intelligence services, according to the SBU.Martin Fornusek (The Kyiv Independent)
"We are talking about people who do not consider Ukraine, European democratic values, or our state constitution theirs, but consider the aggressor state, Russia, their country.Kateryna Denisova (The Kyiv Independent)
Kallmünz
#sketch #sketching #sketchbook #doodle #ink #watercolor #mywork #adogisketch #usk
These companies are owned by oligarchs with ties to the Russian defense industry, and they have funneled millions of chips and sensors to sanctioned defense tech firms in Russia.Abbey Fenbert (The Kyiv Independent)
Key updates on July 25: * Russia will be forced to scale down its attacks in a month and a half, Ukrainian commander says * Kherson Oblast fortifications are 97% complete, Shmyhal says * Peace talks impossible without Russia, China at table, Czec…The Kyiv Independent news desk (The Kyiv Independent)
The Russian proxies conduct propaganda activities among children and youth in the cities of Melitopol and Berdiansk, the head of the local National Police, Artem Kysko, said.Kateryna Hodunova (The Kyiv Independent)
A judge rejected Trump’s semantic attempt to throw out the case.The New Republic
As I said in the comments on his post, it's way past time for the Ds to hit back, and I'm happy to see it. I hope the Harris campaign continues this approach.
It’s Harder to Stab When You’re Being Punched in the Face
WhateverJoyce Donahue, Andrew Pam und Whuffo mögen das.