edition
Ar Es
Al Mayadeen English
  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Feature
  • Videos
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Feature
Videos
Infographs
In Pictures
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. US & Canada
  4. NSO Group 'throwing cash' at lobbyists to get off US blacklist
US & Canada

NSO Group 'throwing cash' at lobbyists to get off US blacklist

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 14 Jul 2022 09:35

If the spy firm wants to sell itself to a US firm, it must find a means to get off the blacklist.

  • NSO Group
    NSO Group is "throwing cash" at lobbyists to get off Biden’s blacklist.

The troubled Israeli surveillance for hire spyware firm NSO Group is reportedly increasing its lobbying efforts in the United States in a desperate attempt to have its name removed from a US trade blacklist.

That blacklist and the stigma associated with it are said to have stymied NSO's efforts to sell its business to possible American buyers.

According to a ProPublica investigation published on Tuesday, NSO spent hundreds of thousands of dollars this year alone on lobbying, public relations agencies, and other entities all aiming to curry favor with US lawmakers and media outlets on behalf of the monitoring corporation.

NSO is known for its industry-leading zero-click hacking tool Pegasus, which is capable of infiltrating a target's phone and providing the attacker practically unlimited access to the device's content.

In recent months, NSO has been hounded by lawsuits, dwindling sales, unpaid debts, media backlash, and domestic problems. This brings us to NSO's growing exploits in the United States.

Read next: 'Israel' pushing US to remove NSO from blacklist

According to reports in The Guardian this week, it appears that the issues around the blacklist were simply too much for L3Harris. For the time being, the agreement appears to be dead. “If the [US] government is not aligned, there is no way for L3 to be aligned,” a source familiar with the deal said in an interview with The Guardian.

The failure of the arrangement was cheered by privacy and digital rights organizations such as AccessNow, who had been staunchly opposed to the endeavor from the start.

“NSO Group should not be rewarded for its facilitation of human rights violations and dangerous business practices with a lucrative offer from a US defense contractor,” Access Now Tech-Legal Counsel Natalia Krapiva said in a statement. “Such a deal is a blatant attack on human rights globally and US national security interests.”

8/ Wouldn't a US firm acquiring NSO make 🇺🇸 safer?

Don't be sure. NSO is *not* the only game in town.

It would send a blinking signal to the financial sector: the spyware industry is worth the risk.

Leading to a growth push from investors. And more NatSec risk to the US.

— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton) June 14, 2022

With the US blacklist hanging over its head, NSO has little prospect of completing an American business. According to the ProPublica investigation, NSO's lobbyists are attempting to raise the matter of their removal from the list during Biden's scheduled meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.

Lobbyists for the corporation reportedly tried and failed to arrange a meeting between corporate representatives and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

Getting their name removed from the trade blacklist is an obvious and immediate problem for NSO; nevertheless, papers obtained by ProPublica demonstrate that the company's US lobbying efforts preceded the blacklisting.

Read next: Israeli police involved in spying on Israelis using NSO's Pegasus

NSO reportedly recruited Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman law firm in July 2021 for roughly $75,000 per month to advise it in the US on bids and compliance issues.

Since then, NSO has inked contracts with several groups, including Bluelight Strategies, a Washington, D.C.-based public relations and media consulting firm with ties to the Democratic Party. According to ProPublica, NSO paid Bluelight $100,000 for two months of work.

Still, at least for the time being, all of NSO's attempts have failed to gain momentum with anyone who cares. The lobbying campaign has allegedly received little response, and NSO has yet to be notified of what it needs to do to be removed from the US blacklist.

Read more: NSO Group selling spyware to 'elevated-risk' clients

  • United States
  • Pegasus spyware scandal
  • Pegasus project
  • NSO Group
  • Joe Biden
  • Pegasus

Trending Now

All
Pegasus infected phones of activists and journalists in Mexico in 2019, 2020, and 2021

Israeli Pegasus returns to Mexico as concerns grow among dissidents

Most Read

US unprepared for potential war with China: Study

US unprepared for potential war with China: Study

  • US & Canada
  • 23 Jan
Twitter headquarters is shown in San Francisco on Nov. 4, 2022 (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

FBI created dashboard to mislabel Twitter users as Russian bots

  • US & Canada
  • 27 Jan
The Russian-manufactured Marker 2 tank-striker (Military Review)

Russia reveals Marker 2 combat robots

  • Europe
  • 26 Jan
Buzzfeed CEO Jonah Peretti (Getty Images)

Buzzfeed to use AI to write its articles after firing 180 employees

  • US & Canada
  • 27 Jan

Read this

All
Number of Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life in prison 553
Palestine

Number of Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life in prison 553

  • 29 Jan
"Israel" did saturday's attack on Iran: WSJ citing US officials
US & Canada

"Israel" did saturday's attack on Iran: WSJ citing US officials

  • 29 Jan
The Utter Disconnect between 'Realities'
Europe

Time may be on Russia's side in Ukraine, say Western officials: WSJ

  • 29 Jan
Screen grab from a video depicting the intact roof of the targeted building in yestreday's attack (IRIB)
MENA

Iranian TV: Isfahan military complex suffered only minor damage

  • 29 Jan
Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS