An Israeli software company called The NSO Group has developed a surveillance tool that enables its user to track an individual’s text messages, calendar records, emails, instant messages, and GPS locations.[1] The program’s name is Pegasus and poses major privacy concerns to citizens worldwide. The NSO Group’s activities have come to light due two anonymous tips received by the New York Times from people who have had dealings with the company. Although this technology is promoted to governments for the purpose of making the world a safer place, there is essentially no check on the invasion of privacy that can occur once this technology is sold to the purchaser.[2] Although all NSO Group contracts with the government are done in accordance with the law, it is in the government’s discretion how deep to dig into an individual’s personal information. This cannot stand to be acceptable and regulations must be set in place to ensure personal privacy.
[1] Nicole Perlroth, How Spy Tech Firms Let Governments See Everything on a Smartphone, New York Times (Sept. 2, 2016), http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/03/technology/nso-group-how-spy-tech-firms-let-governments-see-everything-on-a-smartphone.html?ref=technology&_r=0.
[2] Perlroth, supra note 1.