“Pegasus” scandal: resignation of Asher Lévy, executive director of the Israeli group NSO

The site of the Israeli cybersecurity company NSO (illustration image).

JOEL SAGET AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The NSO Group, maker of the "Pegasus" software, known for its fight against terrorism, has been in turmoil since an investigation revealed a global spy scandal on mobile phones.

The company is now bankrupt.

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From our correspondent in Jerusalem

,

Michel Paul

He had been in office since 2020. Asher Lévy, the executive director of the Israeli cybersecurity group, announces his resignation.

A decision taken just a few days after the revelations of the Israeli business daily

Calcalist which demonstrated that the

Pegasus

spyware

developed by this company had been used by the Israeli police, in particular against social and political activists in the country.

 To read also: Israel accused of having used the spyware "Pegasus" against its own citizens

The Israeli justice announced the opening of an investigation on this subject.

Last November, it was general manager Isaac Benbenisti who resigned just days after his appointment.

NSO had just been blacklisted by the US Department of Commerce.

Group officials say these developments are unrelated to the latest developments in the

Pegasus

affair which has taken on global dimensions.

What is certain is that the company, now with $460 million in debt, is in turmoil.

The only hope for NSO: its takeover by the American Integrity, which is ready to invest 300 million dollars in this transaction.

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Also to listen: “Pegasus” scandal: “This software is used to monitor the population at large”

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