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FBI Probing Israeli Spyware in Government and Private Hacking

Authorities are looking into whether spyware produced by the NSO Group Technologies was used in hacks on Americans.

The FBI is investigating whether Israeli spyware maker NSO Group Technologies is involved in potential hacks on Americans abroad or suspected intelligence gathering on governments, according to Reuters, which spoke with four people familiar with the inquiry. They say the probe began in 2017 when the bureau first started investigating whether the company had obtained crucial code from U.S. hackers who had developed methods to hack smartphones. The probe relaunched this year. NSO told Reuters they had not been contacted by the bureau. “We have not been contacted by any U.S. law enforcement at all about any such matters,” they said in a statement to Reuters via Mercury Public Affairs.