Security News > 2021 > December > US lawmakers want to put NSO Group, 3 other spyware makers out of business with fresh severe sanctions

Eighteen US Democratic lawmakers have asked the Treasury Department and State Department to punish Israel-based spyware maker NSO Group and three other surveillance software firms for enabling human rights abuses.

In a letter [PDF] signed by US Senator Ron Wyden, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, and 16 others, the legislators urge Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to apply sanctions to the NSO Group, UAE-based DarkMatter Group, and EU-based Nexa Technologies and Trovicor, under the Global Magnitsky Act.

NSO Group is alleged to have "Provided hacking software to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Morocco, Bahrain, and other governments, resulting in those countries hacking into the devices of journalists and human rights activists," the lawmakers' letter says.

Google's Project Zero on Wednesday published a technical analysis of the zero-click iMessage exploit said to have been developed by NSO Group and used to target a Saudi activist.

NSO Group, along with Israel-based Candiru, Russia-based Positive Technologies, and Singapore-based Computer Security Initiative Consultancy Pte Ltd, were sanctioned last month by being placed on the Commerce Department's Entity List, which limits the export of hardware and software from the US to designated organizations or individuals unless approved by the Commerce Department.

"A spokesperson for NSO Group just told us:"NSO has chosen ethics upon revenues, and we strongly believe that our contribution to the global security, including United States' national interests, should have the opportunity to be presented.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2021/12/15/magnitsky_act_nso_group/