Israeli cyber-intelligence company NSO has been negotiating a deal with the Jordanian government in recent months to sell new espionage technology, two sources briefed on the matter say.
Why it matters: Jordanian intelligence services are monitoring terrorist groups, as well as monitoring opposition activists and addressing domestic criticism of King Abdullah II.
Driving the news: The sources say negotiations between the NSO and the Jordanian government began late last year, and a delegation of the company’s senior executives and technology experts traveled to Amman.
- They gave a presentation to Jordanian officials, including from the General Intelligence Directorate, and showed the possibilities of the new technology.
- According to one source, the technology involved new spyware to collect information and other technology to monitor messaging services.
- One source said a contract had been signed, but a second said it was unclear whether the deal was done.
- A NSO spokesperson told me, “As a long-standing policy issue, we do not comment on our dealings with states. The above is not considered confirmation of the alleged facts.”
The big picture: Negotiations took place in the months leading up to the kingdom’s latest domestic crisis, in which former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein was placed under house arrest for an alleged coup attempt.
- Jordanian security forces monitored his communications for months and reportedly spied on his meetings with chiefs.
Flashback: According to press reports, NSO has done business with the Jordanian government in the past. Haaretz reported last year that NSO uses the code name “Jaguar” for Jordan in internal documents.
Worth nothing: The NSO has been harshly criticized in recent years for the use of its Pegasus spyware by various customers around the world to keep an eye on human rights activists, opposition members, reporters and political rivals.
- In October 2019, Facebook sued NSO for allegedly using Pegasus to hack 1,400 WhatsApp accounts, including those of 100 human rights activists and journalists. NSO rejects the allegations.
- The Guardian reported last month that the Justice Department had extended an investigation involving NSO.