HELPING HAND

Israeli Cyberspies ‘Help Dictators Hunt Gays and Dissidents,’ Says Report

Private firms are happily aiding undemocratic governments.

Israeli companies that specialize in cyberspying are reportedly helping dictators around the world hunt dissidents, persecute members of the LGBT community, and detain human-rights activists. A investigation by Haaretz shows Israeli companies happily sell their products and services to undemocratic countries even when they have no way to know whether the items sold were being used to violate the rights of civilians. The investigation also found that Israeli firms continued to sell products, such as the notorious Pegasus software, to governments even when it was revealed publicly that the equipment was being used for malicious purposes, including enabling illegal surveillance and infiltrating human-rights investigators’ cellphones during the hunt for 43 missing Mexican student teachers. Countries where private companies sold espionage and intelligence-gathering software include Bahrain, Mexico, Indonesia, Angola, Mozambique, the Dominican Republic, Azerbaijan, Swaziland, Botswana, Bangladesh, El Salvador, Panama, and Nicaragua.