Israel Maneuvered to Prevent State Secrets Disclosure, WhatsApp vs. NSO Lawsuit
Israel has intervened in the WhatsApp lawsuit against NSO to protect state secrets, issuing a gag order and modifying court filings, raising concerns about accountability and privacy in digital security.
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Israel has taken significant steps to prevent the disclosure of state secrets in the ongoing lawsuit between WhatsApp and the Israeli spyware company NSO. Documents obtained by Forbidden Stories reveal that in July 2020, the Israeli government ordered the seizure of files from NSO's offices to avoid sensitive information being revealed during the discovery process in the U.S. court. A gag order was also issued to suppress information about this seizure, aimed at protecting national security and foreign relations. The leaked files indicate that the Israeli Ministry of Justice sought to modify NSO's court filings to remove references suggesting that Israel is a customer of NSO's technology. This intervention raises questions about Israel's commitment to regulating NSO impartially and its ability to provide justice for those affected by the Pegasus spyware, which has been implicated in targeting journalists and human rights defenders globally. The lawsuit, initiated by WhatsApp in 2019, alleges that NSO abused its platform to hack the phones of numerous individuals. Despite NSO's claims of immunity as a foreign government agent, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected its appeal, allowing WhatsApp to continue its legal pursuit. Recent court filings indicate that NSO has been uncooperative in the discovery process, prompting WhatsApp to call for accountability for NSO's alleged illegal activities. The situation highlights the complex relationship between the Israeli government and NSO, as well as the broader implications for privacy and security in the digital age.
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