The Israeli cyber intelligence company NSO has been negotiating an agreement with the Jordanian government in recent months for the sale of a new espionage technology, two informed sources told me.
Why does it matter: Jordanian intelligence services monitor terrorist groups, but also monitor opposition activists and thwart internal criticism of King Abdullah II.
News management: Sources say negotiations between the ONS and the Jordanian government began late last year, and a delegation of senior company executives and technology experts traveled to Amman.
- They introduced Jordanian officials, including from the Directorate-General for Intelligence, and demonstrated the capabilities of the new technology.
- According to a source, the technology related to the new spyware programs for collecting information and other technologies for monitoring messaging services.
- A source said a contract had been signed, but a second said it was unclear whether the deal had been finalized.
- An ONS spokesman told me: “As a long-term policy issue, we do not comment on our contacts with states. The above is not considered a confirmation of the alleged facts.”
The whole picture: Negotiations took place in the months leading up to the kingdom’s latest internal crisis, during which former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein was arrested at home for an alleged coup attempt.
- Jordanian security services monitored his communications for months and allegedly spied on his meetings with tribal leaders.
Flashback: According to press reports, the NSO has done business with the Jordanian government in the past. Haaretz reported last year that the NSO uses the code name “Jaguar” for Jordan in internal documents.
Not worth anything: The NSO has been harshly criticized in recent years for using its Pegasus spyware by several clients around the world to monitor human rights activists, opposition figures, reporters and political rivals.
- In October 2019, Facebook sued the NSO for allegedly using Pegasus to hack 1,400 WhatsApp accounts, including those of 100 human rights activists and journalists. ONS rejects the allegations.
- The Guardian reported last month that the Justice Department has renewed an investigation involving the NSO.