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 correspondent: The US vetoed a UNSC resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, arguing it does not condemn Hamas nor grant "Israel" the right to “self-defense.”
Israeli occupation forces issue a new bombing threat against civilian buildings in the Southern Lebanese towns of Borj Qalaouiye and Chehabiyeh.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Extending the snapback mechanism deadline will test how independent Europeans truly are from the US.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Activating the snapback mechanism will nullify the Cairo Agreement, shut the door on cooperation between the IAEA and Tehran, and bar inspections.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: The diplomatic window remains open, but signs of activating the snapback sanctions mechanism on Iran are increasing.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Although the Cairo Agreement meets an important part of European demands, they have begun speaking of new conditions in recent communications.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: European countries show no independence in their stance toward Iran during the talks.
Israeli occupation forces issued bombing threats to bomb civilian buildings in Southern Lebanon.
Israeli media: Person behind shooting operation at Allenby Crossing is a Jordanian Army soldier.
Israeli media citing Emergency Services: Both wounded in Allenby shooting operation now dead.

Citizen Lab being badgered by 'Israel's' NSO Group in court

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Intercept
  • 7 May 2024 15:11
4 Min Read

Citizen Lab's legal team has strongly opposed the idea of sharing raw research data with NSO, arguing that doing so could potentially put individuals who have already been targeted by NSO's activities at greater risk of harassment.

  • x
  • A person holding a phone showing the logo of Israeli spyware company NSO group. (AFP)
    A person holding a phone showing the logo of Israeli spyware company NSO group. (AFP)

NSO Group, an Israeli spyware firm known for its flagship product Pegasus, is attempting to gain insights into "how Citizen Lab conducted its analysis" through a lawsuit related to the WhatsApp exploit, The Intercept reported on Tuesday.

For years, cybersecurity researchers at Citizen Lab have been closely monitoring NSO Group, which has been blacklisted by the US government due to its sale of spyware for countries to surveil their citizens. In 2019, Citizen Lab reported discovering numerous instances where Pegasus was utilized to target the smartphones of journalists and human rights activists through a security vulnerability in WhatsApp.

This lawsuit, initiated in US federal court in 2019 by WhatsApp and Meta (formerly Facebook), said that NSO distributed Pegasus and other malware to roughly 1,400 devices worldwide. Despite ongoing efforts by NSO, the case has persistently withstood attempts for dismissal for over four years.

Citizen Lab stands firm: Refuses to share Pegasus investigation data with NSO

As the lawsuit progresses, NSO has adopted a new strategy: Repeatedly demanding that Citizen Lab, based in Canada, hand over all documents related to its Pegasus investigation. However, a judge recently rejected NSO's latest attempt to access Citizen Lab's materials.

Citizen Lab's lawyers argued against providing raw work to NSO, stating that it could expose individuals already targeted by NSO to further harassment, including from their own governments, and could hinder their future work. NSO has declined to comment on the lawsuit, as per the report.

In recent years, NSO has launched an aggressive campaign to improve its reputation, particularly after being blacklisted in 2021. Last November, following October 7, the company requested a meeting with the State Department to discuss Pegasus as a "critical tool" in the ongoing fight against terrorism.

Related News

US Veto blocks UN Security Council Gaza ceasefire resolution

China rejects Israeli claims of 'information blockade'

NSO has encountered additional legal challenges in US courts related to Pegasus, including ongoing cases initiated by Salvadoran journalists, Apple, and Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, the widow of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi. These lawsuits draw upon research conducted by Citizen Lab to varying extents.

The WhatsApp lawsuit, which NSO recently characterized as a potential "show trial," has not progressed favorably for the spyware company thus far. Initially, NSO contended that it was entirely immune from lawsuits in American courts, an argument dismissed by a federal appeals court in 2021, and subsequently declined by the US Supreme Court in early 2023.

Subsequently, NSO argued that the lawsuit should have been filed in "Israel" rather than in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, where both WhatsApp and Meta (the parent company of WhatsApp) are headquartered. However, Judge Phyllis Hamilton rejected this argument as well.

The big picture

Earlier this year, Hamilton dealt a significant blow to NSO by ordering the company to disclose not only its software code for Pegasus, but also any NSO spyware aimed at or using WhatsApp servers to access target devices.

During the discovery process, NSO acquired numerous documents from Meta and WhatsApp regarding Citizen Lab's investigation into Pegasus. Despite this, NSO has attempted and failed twice to extract additional information directly from Citizen Lab, situated at the University of Toronto. In March, Hamilton rejected NSO's initial request to send a cross-border demand, known as a "letter rogatory," to her counterparts at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

NSO made a second attempt last month, arguing that the evidence provided by the plaintiffs about Citizen Lab's investigation was insufficient, as it did not reveal the methodology or basis for its conclusions regarding Pegasus targeting individuals in civil society rather than criminals or terrorists.

Citizen Lab strongly objected to NSO's requests, citing the company's hostile stance towards its research efforts.

In her latest ruling, Judge Hamilton deemed NSO's demand as excessively broad. While she left open the possibility for NSO to make another attempt, she stipulated that this would only be considered if NSO could provide evidence that specific individuals identified by Citizen Lab as "civil society" targets were engaged in criminal or terrorist activities.

“We are pleased the court has recognized that NSO Group’s request for information was overbroad and not necessary at this time to resolve the disputed issues,” Citizen Lab’s director, Ronald Deibert, said as quoted by The Intercept.

Read more: Israeli Pegasus, among others, puts media freedom in EU at climax risk

  • Israel
  • Israeli spyware
  • NSO Group
  • Pegasus Spyware
  • Citizen Lab

Most Read

Why is Choose Love using a firm with British and US intelligence connections to run a pro-Palestine musical event? (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Together for Palestine: Troubling questions about the organisers of this huge event

  • Opinion
  • 17 Sep 2025
Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza.

Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza

  • Politics
  • 12 Sep 2025
Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

  • Palestine
  • 14 Sep 2025
UKLFI’s latest faux pas, like "Israel’s" recent failed attempt at regime change in Iran, is unambiguously indicative of a flailing entity on the verge of extinction. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

Zionist lawfare operation facing collapse?

  • Opinion
  • 13 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A Hezbollah supporter who lost his sight in a pager attack carried out by "Israel" on Sept. 17, 2024, covers his eyes with a red headband inscribed with the name "Hussein" during Ashoura, July 6, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'We Have Recovered': Lebanon marks 1st anniversary of Pager Attack

The Arab neighborhood of El Za'im, on the outskirts of east Occupied Al-Quds in the West Bank, near where Israeli government says housing units will be built as part of the E1 settlement project, Thursday, August 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Palestine

'Israel’s' deliberate policies drive West Bank economy toward collapse

Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Politics

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder resigns over parent company curbing activism

Trump’s approval rating falls to new low in second term: Poll
US & Canada

Trump’s approval rating falls to new low in second term: Poll

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