S.T.O.P. Condemns NSO Group Spyware Targeting Journalists, Activists, Calls For U.S. Ban

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View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Condemns NSO Group Spyware Targeting Journalists, Activists, Calls For U.S. Ban   (New York, NY, 7/19/2021) - Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy group, condemns the NSO Group’s sale of spyware used to target journalists and activists. Amnesty International and Forbidden Stories found that NSO’s Pegasus software is used to track journalists, activists, politicians, business executives, and other officials in over 50 countries. NSO Group’s software has been reportedly used in the U.S. before, and S.T.O.P. called on U.S. lawmakers to ban American police from using the tool in the future.   SEE: The Washington Post - Private Israeli spyware used to hack cellphones of journalists, activists worldwide https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2021/nso-spyware-pegasus-cellphones/   Amnesty International - Forensic Methodology Report: How to catch NSO Group’s Pegasus https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2021/07/forensic-methodology-report-how-to-catch-nso-groups-pegasus/   “Pegasus is just as much of a threat to Americans as this year’s high-profile ransomware attacks,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “Ransomware can cost us billions, but this spyware can undermine democracy itself. Foreign governments and criminals are using this software to transform our phones into wiretaps, recording our every moment. And police can use this software to secretly track political protesters and other targeted groups. At the bare minimum, we should ban our own police from using the same software as criminals and authoritarian regimes.”   Earlier this summer, the civil rights group called on Congress to limit the power of police to purchase Americans' information from data brokers. The group also called for bans on so-called reverse warrants, which allow police to obtain thousands of people’s data with a single court order.   SEE: The Hill - Putting a price on privacy: Ending police data purchases https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/552105-putting-a-price-on-privacy-ending-police-data-purchases   Richmond Times - Are 'geofence' warrants a legitimate investigative tool or an unconstitutional 'digital dragnet'? Chesterfield robbery case raises privacy questions. https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/are-geofence-warrants-a-legitimate-investigative-tool-or-an-unconstitutional-digital-dragnet-chesterfield-robbery-case/article_bf3d01a7-d9ec-5a2c-bfe2-298630e69ea7.html   c|net – Privacy groups demand Google disclose details on geofence warrants https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/privacy-groups-demand-google-disclose-details-on-geofence-warrants/    The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. -- END -- CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn   Copyright © 2019 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.