Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: More than 70 martyrs in Israeli attacks on Gaza since dawn.
Death toll from latest Israeli strikes on Gaza rises to 30
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Five killed in the Israeli bombing of a civilian vehicle on Al-Qassam Street in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip
Hamas confirms that it has no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah and affirms its commitment to the ceasefire agreement
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Two civilians were killed and four others, including a child and an infant, were injured in an Israeli bombing of a house belonging to the Al-Banna family in the al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: An Israeli airstrike targets the vicinity of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, west of Gaza City
Al-Qassam: We will postpone the handover of the body of the Israeli captive we found, which was scheduled for today, due to the occupation's violations
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: Israeli occupation aircraft launch airstrikes on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip
Netanyahu's office: At the end of the security consultations, the prime minister instructed the military to launch massive military strikes on the Gaza Strip immediately
President Aoun: We urge the activation of the monitoring committee, the cessation of hostilities, ongoing Israeli violations, attacks

FBI secretly bought Pegasus in 2019, used it domestically: NYT

  • By Al Mayadeen Net
  • Source: NYT
  • 30 Jan 2022 22:34
  • 1 Shares
3 Min Read

According to a New York Times Magazine investigation, the FBI bought the Pegasus spyware in a secret deal in 2019 and is currently using the company's equipment in a New Jersey building.

  • x
  • According to the Times, the FBI bought Pegasus in a secret deal in 2019.
    According to the Times, the FBI bought Pegasus in a secret deal in 2019.

The Israeli NSO Group's Pegasus, considered as the world’s most effective spyware due to its capability of cracking encrypted communications of iPhone and Android smartphones in a reliable way, has been found by a New York Times (NYT) investigation to have been bought by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The investigation was published on Friday in The New York Times, under the title “The Battle for the World’s Most Powerful Cyberweapon.”

NYT found that sales of Pegasus played a major role in securing the support of Arab nations in "Israel’s" campaign against Iran and pushing the normalization deals (the so-called “Abraham Accords”) forward.

Pegasus used against US citizens

In addition to the Pegasus spyware the FBI secretly bought back in 2019, NSO Group also gave the security agency a demonstration of Phantom, a newer tool that could hack American phone numbers.

According to Apple Insider, the FBI considered using the Pegasus spyware for US domestic surveillance when the agency bought it. 

Related News

Trump says Gaza peace deal entering ‘phase two’

Venezuela slams Trinidad and Tobago, declares PM persona non grata

The US Justice Department and the FBI spent two years discussing whether to use Phantom, with the FBI deciding against it and all NSO spyware in 2021.

Nonetheless, the New York Times report of the investigation confirms that the Pegasus equipment is still in the possession of the FBI at a New Jersey facility.

The 2019 Secret deal

Therefore, according to the NYT, and despite numerous reports saying that it had been used to track political opponents and activists in other countries, the FBI still bought the notorious Pegasus.

The NYT conducted the investigation for over a year, and it was based on interviews with officials in the government and in the intelligence, as well as cyber experts and privacy activists in a dozen of countries.

The investigation focused on how NSO started, and it included the company's blacklisting by the Biden administration in November for being used by foreign governments to “maliciously target” journalists and others.

The enraged "Israel"

After media reports on Pegasus' usage in various spyware attacks on heads of states, journalists, political activists, and human rights activists, the United States decided to blacklist NSO, Pegasus' parent company in early November 2021.

The United States placed "Israel's" spyware maker NSO Group, the corporation behind the notorious Pegasus, on its list of restricted companies. NSO Group's Pegasus was exposed as having been used by oppressive regimes to spy on journalists, human rights activists, dissidents, and even heads of state. 

The blacklisting has enraged Israeli officials who have doomed the move as an attack not only on NSO, but on the whole of "Israel".

Yigal Unna, director-general of the "Israel" National Cyber Directorate until Jan. 5 said, “The people aiming their arrows against NSO are actually aiming at the blue and white flag hanging behind it.”

  • Israel
  • United States
  • Pegasus

Most Read

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

  • Technology
  • 24 Oct 2025
Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025
Abu Hamza, the spokesperson for the Al-Quds Brigades, during a speech televised on October 22, 2025 (Al-Quds Brigades Military Media)

Al-Quds Brigades' Abu Hamza mourns leaders, vows continued resistance

  • Politics
  • 22 Oct 2025
US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

  • Africa
  • 23 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Members of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and Egyptian workers search for the bodies of hostages in a tunnel discovered during searches in Hamad City, Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'Israel' obstructing Gaza body recovery, creating false claims: Hamas

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawwaf Salam talks to US Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus at the Grand Serail in Beirut, Lebanon, October 28, 2025 (NNA)
Politics

Salam conveys to Ortagus goals behind any possible negotiations

Writers boycott NYT, demand justice as Gaza media ban faces court
Politics

300+ writers boycott NYT Opinion, cite persistent anti-Palestine bias

Settlers attack West Bank olive harvesters, Injure 3 Palestinians
Politics

Settlers attack West Bank olive harvesters, injure 3 Palestinians

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS