US puts new controls on Israeli spyware company NSO Group

By ALAN SUDERMAN
Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Biden administration has announced it is putting new export limits on Israel’s NSO Group, the world’s most infamous hacker-for-hire company, saying its tools have been used to “conduct transnational repression.” The U.S. Commerce Department said Wednesday that NSO Group and three other firms are being added to the “entity list,” which limits their access to U.S. components and technology by requiring government permission for exports. The department said putting these companies on the entity list was part of efforts to promote human rights in U.S. foreign policy. Researchers say NSO Group’s spyware has been used around the world to break into the phones of human rights activists, journalists and even members of the Catholic clergy. The company denies wrongdoing.