Israeli Internal Security Minister Omer Bar-Lev on Saturday night denied a recent press report that the Israel Police has been using NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware against citizens, without a court order, through use of a legal loophole.
“I can tell you that all the examinations, including those by the attorney-general … other than the fact that the police use advanced technologies, turned out to [reveal that the accusations are] incorrect,” he told Channel 12.
He quoted a letter written by Mandelblit, which stated, “We have not found any basis for concern about illegal organizational use. We are satisfied that the Israel Police is acting by virtuous power under the law.”
Bar-Lev added that an investigation has been opened and that Mandelblit’s deputy will continue to look into the matter, with the initial aim of weeding out any “rotten apples” that could be operating against the system.