A notorious Israeli spyware firm wants to use the Gaza war to make a comeback

In 2021, the Biden administration blacklisted the NSO Group, an Israeli company infamous for selling controversial commercial surveillance technology across the globe. But now pressure is mounting on the White House to reverse course. NSO Group lobbyists and several European governments claim the firm’s spyware — software for covertly collecting mobile phone data — has become indispensable in Israel’s fight against Hamas.

But removing NSO Group’s blacklisted status would be a mistake. Doing so would endorse unconstrained surveillance and undermine broader U.S. efforts to curb other firms enabling undemocratic uses of spyware. Washington must stand firm to preserve the political and moral leadership it needs to combat spyware abuse.