FBI admits to obtaining Israeli-made Pegasus spyware
The FBI said it bought the controversial spyware tool for “product testing and evaluation only” and never deployed it.
The FBI says it bought the NSO Group’s controversial spyware Pegasus, but never used the Israeli-made phone hacking tool.
The bureau told The Guardian that it purchased Pegasus to “stay abreast of emerging technologies and tradecraft” and that the acquisition was meant for only for evaluation purposes.
“There was no operational use in support of any investigation, the FBI procured a limited license for product testing and evaluation only,” the FBI said in a statement.
Researchers say NSO’s Pegasus software can be used to remotely access a phone’s contents, camera and microphone. The Israeli firm says it licenses Pegasus and other surveillance tools on the condition that governments use them only to fight terrorism and other crime.
