WhatsApp has accused an Israeli surveillance firm of helping government spies hack into the phones of hundreds of people. Senior government officials, diplomats, political dissidents and journalists were among around 1,400 users targetted across four continents, the Facebook owned firm said in a lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco against NSO Group. It said the company had facilitated government hacking sprees
WhatsApp has accused an Israeli surveillance firm of helping government spies hack into the phones of hundreds of people.
Senior government officials, diplomats, political dissidents and journalists were among around 1,400 users targetted across four continents, the Facebook owned firm said in a lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco against NSO Group.
It said the company had facilitated government hacking sprees in 20 countries, although it only named Mexico, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Calling it an ”unmistakable pattern of abuse”, in a statement, WhatsApp said that 100 civil society members had also been targetted.
The attack exploited its video calling system in order to send malware to the mobile devices of a number of users, it said.
1/50 29 October 2019
Hindu devotees collect rice as offerings on ‘Annakut’ or ‘Govardhan Puja’ festival at the Madan Mohan temple in Kolkata. People in large numbers gather at the temple to collect the rice offerings in the belief that it will keep them in good health and they’ll never face poverty or scarcity of food
AFP via Getty
2/50 28 October 2019
Authorities investigate after a Port Authority bus was caught in a sinkhole in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
AP
3/50 27 October 2019
South Africa players celebrate after beating Wales in their Rugby World Cup semi-final match. The Springboks will face England in next Saturday’s final following fly-half Handre Pollard’s match-winning penalty four minutes from time. The match ended 19-16
Reuters
4/50 26 October 2019
Participants from Thailand pose in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall as they take part in the annual gay pride parade in Taipei. Some two hundred thousand revellers marched through Taipei in a riot of rainbow colours and celebration as Taiwan held its first pride parade since making history in Asia by legalising gay marriage
AFP/Getty
5/50 25 October 2019
A girl enjoys a ball bath as she is being photographed at the made-for-Instagram museum ‘Cali Dreams’ in Dusseldorf, Germany. No artworks are shown in this museum, rather each visitor himself becomes an artwork by staging himself in front of one of the 25 sceneries. Cali Dreams is initially open for three months. After this test phase, however, the museum is planned as a long-term project
EPA
6/50 24 October 2019
A fire lorry speeds towards a rampant wildfire near Geyserville, California
AFP/Getty
7/50 23 October 2019
Protesters facing Lebanese army soldiers wave national flags in the area of Jal al-Dib in the northern outskirts of Beirut. A week of unprecedented street protests against the political class showed no signs of abating, despite the army moving to reopen key roads. Protests were sparked on October 17 by a proposed tax on WhatsApp and other messaging apps
AFP/Getty
8/50 22 October 2019
Liberal leader and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waves to supporters beside his wife Sophie after the federal election at the Palais des Congres in Montreal. He managed to hold on to power, albeit of a minority government, in one of the most divisive elections in the country’s history
Reuters
9/50 21 October 2019
A convoy of US vehicles is seen after withdrawing from northern Syria, on the outskirts of Dohuk, Iraq
Reuters
10/50 20 October 2019
Japan players go over to thank their fans after South Africa beat them in the quarter-final of the Rugby World Cup. Makazole Mapimpi double ended the hosts’ dreams in Tokyo 3-26. The Springboks will now face Wales in the semi-finals for a place in the final
Reuters
11/50 19 October 2019
Archaeologists remove the cover of an ancient painted coffin discovered at Al-Asasif Necropolis in the Vally of Kings in Luxor, Egypt
Reuters
12/50 18 October 2019
A protester throws a tire on a fire to block the highway north of Beirut, Lebanon. Protesters, mainly civil activists, started demonstrating in the downtown area on 17 October, condemning proposed taxes in the 2020 budget. An unexpected addition to impose a daily fee for using WhatsApp calls caused outrage. However, according to the Telecommunications Minister Mohamed Choucair, the charge will not make it through the government palace after the impact it has made on the streets
EPA
13/50 17 October 2019
Children watch as army tanks are transported on trucks in the outskirts of the town of Akcakale, in Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey, at the border of Syria
AP
14/50 16 October 2019
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un riding a white horse amongst the first snow at Mouth Paektu
KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/Getty
15/50 15 October 2019
Protesters create a burning barricade after the Supreme Court in Madrid handed lengthy prison sentences to nine of the detained Catalonian leaders for up to 13 years each
EPA
16/50 14 October 2019
Protestors light their torches during a peaceful rally in central Hong Kong’s business district. The protests that started in June over a now-shelved extradition bill have since snowballed into an anti-China campaign amid anger over what many view as Beijing’s interference in Hong Kong’s autonomy that was granted when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997
AP
17/50 13 October 2019
Japan players celebrate victory after beating Scotland 28-21 to reach the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup for the first ever time. The hosts head coach Jamie Joseph paid tribute to those who lost their lives in Typhoon Hagibis
Getty Images
18/50 12 October 2019
Surging waves generated by typhoon Hagibis hit the seashore in Mihama, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Hagibis is the strongest storm to hit in six decades and battered the country’s main island with torrential rain and violent winds
EPA
19/50 11 October 2019
Firefighters battle the Saddleridge fire in Sylmar, California
AP
20/50 10 October 2019
People run to take cover after mortars fired from Syria, in Akcakale, Turkey. An Associated Press journalist said at least two government buildings were hit by the mortars in Sanliurfa province’s border town of Akcakale and at least two people were wounded
AP
21/50 9 October 2019
Policemen climb over a wall close to the site of a shooting where at least two people were killed at multiple locations in Germany, including near a synagogue in the city of Halle
dpa/AFP/Getty
22/50 8 October 2019
This multi-exposure picture shows USA’s Simone Biles performing on the beam during the women’s team final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart
AFP/Getty
23/50 7 October 2019
Extinction Rebellion activists block an intersection in Melbourne, Australia
Reuters
24/50 6 October 2019
Protesters hold smoke grenades as they gather in central Kiev to demand broader autonomy for separatist territories, part of a plan to end a war with Russian-backed fighters
Getty
25/50 5 October 2019
Anti-government protesters rush to an injured man during a demonstration in Baghdad, Iraq
AP
26/50 4 October 2019
Footage of a hugely rare polka dot zebra has been captured in Kenya. The foal was photographed in the Maasai Mara National Reserve
Abdelrahman Hassanein
27/50 3 October 2019
A devotee dressed as the Hindu deity Maha Kali performs during Navratri festival celebrations in Ajmer in Rajasthan state, India
AFP/Getty
28/50 2 October 2019
A gust of wind lifts the cassock of Pope Francis during the weekly general audience at St.Peter’s square in the Vatican
AFP/Getty
29/50 1 October 2019
Protesters clash with an Iraqi riot police vehicle during a demonstration against state corruption and poor services in Baghdad
AFP/Getty
30/50 30 September 2019
A student protester throws a burning stick at riot police officers during a clash in Jakarta, Indonesia
AP
31/50 29 September 2019
An anti-government protester wearing a mask depicting U.S. President Donald Trump is pushed away by riot police during a demonstration at Causeway Bay district in Hong Kong, China
Reuters
32/50 28 September 2019
A Japan fan smiles before the Japan v Ireland Rugby World Cup match in Shizuoka, Japan
Reuters
33/50 27 September 2019
The Duke of Sussex walks through a minefield in Dirico, Angola, during a visit to see the work of landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust, on day five of the royal tour of Africa
PA
34/50 26 September 2019
A policeman stands on a blocked road in Le Petit-Quevilly as smoke billows from a Lubrizol factory classified SEVESO high-threshold site. Residents of twelve towns including Rouen have been asked to stay at home after a fire broke out according to the prefect of Normandy
AFP/Getty
35/50 25 September 2019
Participants dressed in traditional attire pose for pictures during rehearsals for Garba, a folk dance, in preparations for the upcoming Navratri, a festival during which devotees worship the Hindu goddess Durga, in Ahmedabad, India
Reuters
36/50 24 September 2019
A protester fires at riot police during university students’ protest outside the Indonesian Parliament in Jakarta
Reuters
37/50 23 September 2019
Russia’s Soyuz-FG booster rocket with the Soyuz MS-15 space ship that will carry new crew to the International Space Station (ISS) is transported from its hangar to the launch pad at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. The new Soyuz mission is scheduled on 25 September with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka, US astronaut Jessica Meir and United Arab Emirates astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri
AP
38/50 22 September 2019
An anti-government protester sets a fire during a rally outside the Mong Kok police station in Hong Kong
Reuters
39/50 21 September 2019
New Zealand players perform the haka before their opening Rugby World Cup match against South Africa in Japan. The All Blacks secured a 23-13 victory over their rivals
AFP/Getty
40/50 20 September 2019
Thousands of school students and protesters gather in The Domain ahead of a climate strike rally in Sydney. Millions of people around the world are taking part in protests demanding action on climate issues. The Global Strike For Climate is being held only days ahead of the scheduled United Nations Climate Change Summit in New York
Getty
41/50 19 September 2019
A pedestrian walks by an advertising installation for the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup in Oita, on the eve of the start of the tournament
AFP/Getty
42/50 18 September 2019
Two flamingos at Dresden Zoo in Germany
EPA
43/50 17 September 2019
Strong wind and waves roll in at Nordre Strandvej in Denmark
EPA
44/50 16 September 2019
A moto-taxi driver takes two passengers past a burning barricade set up by people protesting fuel shortages in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
AP
45/50 15 September 2019
People paddle on a stand-up board during sunrise in a beach in Larnaca, Cyprus
Reuters
46/50 14 September 2019
Mourners hold portraits of Zimbabwe’s late President Robert Mugabe as they attend a farewell ceremony at the National Sports Stadium in Harare. Mugabe died in Singapore on September 6 at the age of 95. He left Zimbabwe deeply divided over his legacy with his country still struggling with high inflation and shortages of goods after decades of crisis
AFP/Getty
47/50 13 September 2019
Rescue workers on a boat rescue a person stranded inside a flooded tunnel after heavy floods in Pilar de la Horadada, Spain
Reuters
48/50 12 September 2019
Police officers try to control the crowd after members of the public were invited to view Robert Mugabe’s body as it lies in state at the Rufaro stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe
Reuters
49/50 11 September 2019
A US flag hangs from a steel girder, damaged in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center at a memorial in Jersey City. It is the 18th anniversary of the attacks
AP
50/50 10 September 2019
Local actors dressed as ancient warriors re-enact a scene from the 7th century battle of Kerbala during a ceremony marking Ashura in Iraq
Reuters
1/50 29 October 2019
Hindu devotees collect rice as offerings on ‘Annakut’ or ‘Govardhan Puja’ festival at the Madan Mohan temple in Kolkata. People in large numbers gather at the temple to collect the rice offerings in the belief that it will keep them in good health and they’ll never face poverty or scarcity of food
AFP via Getty
2/50 28 October 2019
Authorities investigate after a Port Authority bus was caught in a sinkhole in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
AP
3/50 27 October 2019
South Africa players celebrate after beating Wales in their Rugby World Cup semi-final match. The Springboks will face England in next Saturday’s final following fly-half Handre Pollard’s match-winning penalty four minutes from time. The match ended 19-16
Reuters
4/50 26 October 2019
Participants from Thailand pose in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall as they take part in the annual gay pride parade in Taipei. Some two hundred thousand revellers marched through Taipei in a riot of rainbow colours and celebration as Taiwan held its first pride parade since making history in Asia by legalising gay marriage
AFP/Getty
5/50 25 October 2019
A girl enjoys a ball bath as she is being photographed at the made-for-Instagram museum ‘Cali Dreams’ in Dusseldorf, Germany. No artworks are shown in this museum, rather each visitor himself becomes an artwork by staging himself in front of one of the 25 sceneries. Cali Dreams is initially open for three months. After this test phase, however, the museum is planned as a long-term project
EPA
6/50 24 October 2019
A fire lorry speeds towards a rampant wildfire near Geyserville, California
AFP/Getty
7/50 23 October 2019
Protesters facing Lebanese army soldiers wave national flags in the area of Jal al-Dib in the northern outskirts of Beirut. A week of unprecedented street protests against the political class showed no signs of abating, despite the army moving to reopen key roads. Protests were sparked on October 17 by a proposed tax on WhatsApp and other messaging apps
AFP/Getty
8/50 22 October 2019
Liberal leader and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waves to supporters beside his wife Sophie after the federal election at the Palais des Congres in Montreal. He managed to hold on to power, albeit of a minority government, in one of the most divisive elections in the country’s history
Reuters
9/50 21 October 2019
A convoy of US vehicles is seen after withdrawing from northern Syria, on the outskirts of Dohuk, Iraq
Reuters
10/50 20 October 2019
Japan players go over to thank their fans after South Africa beat them in the quarter-final of the Rugby World Cup. Makazole Mapimpi double ended the hosts’ dreams in Tokyo 3-26. The Springboks will now face Wales in the semi-finals for a place in the final
Reuters
11/50 19 October 2019
Archaeologists remove the cover of an ancient painted coffin discovered at Al-Asasif Necropolis in the Vally of Kings in Luxor, Egypt
Reuters
12/50 18 October 2019
A protester throws a tire on a fire to block the highway north of Beirut, Lebanon. Protesters, mainly civil activists, started demonstrating in the downtown area on 17 October, condemning proposed taxes in the 2020 budget. An unexpected addition to impose a daily fee for using WhatsApp calls caused outrage. However, according to the Telecommunications Minister Mohamed Choucair, the charge will not make it through the government palace after the impact it has made on the streets
EPA
13/50 17 October 2019
Children watch as army tanks are transported on trucks in the outskirts of the town of Akcakale, in Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey, at the border of Syria
AP
14/50 16 October 2019
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un riding a white horse amongst the first snow at Mouth Paektu
KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/Getty
15/50 15 October 2019
Protesters create a burning barricade after the Supreme Court in Madrid handed lengthy prison sentences to nine of the detained Catalonian leaders for up to 13 years each
EPA
16/50 14 October 2019
Protestors light their torches during a peaceful rally in central Hong Kong’s business district. The protests that started in June over a now-shelved extradition bill have since snowballed into an anti-China campaign amid anger over what many view as Beijing’s interference in Hong Kong’s autonomy that was granted when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997
AP
17/50 13 October 2019
Japan players celebrate victory after beating Scotland 28-21 to reach the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup for the first ever time. The hosts head coach Jamie Joseph paid tribute to those who lost their lives in Typhoon Hagibis
Getty Images
18/50 12 October 2019
Surging waves generated by typhoon Hagibis hit the seashore in Mihama, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Hagibis is the strongest storm to hit in six decades and battered the country’s main island with torrential rain and violent winds
EPA
19/50 11 October 2019
Firefighters battle the Saddleridge fire in Sylmar, California
AP
20/50 10 October 2019
People run to take cover after mortars fired from Syria, in Akcakale, Turkey. An Associated Press journalist said at least two government buildings were hit by the mortars in Sanliurfa province’s border town of Akcakale and at least two people were wounded
AP
21/50 9 October 2019
Policemen climb over a wall close to the site of a shooting where at least two people were killed at multiple locations in Germany, including near a synagogue in the city of Halle
dpa/AFP/Getty
22/50 8 October 2019
This multi-exposure picture shows USA’s Simone Biles performing on the beam during the women’s team final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart
AFP/Getty
23/50 7 October 2019
Extinction Rebellion activists block an intersection in Melbourne, Australia
Reuters
24/50 6 October 2019
Protesters hold smoke grenades as they gather in central Kiev to demand broader autonomy for separatist territories, part of a plan to end a war with Russian-backed fighters
Getty
25/50 5 October 2019
Anti-government protesters rush to an injured man during a demonstration in Baghdad, Iraq
AP
26/50 4 October 2019
Footage of a hugely rare polka dot zebra has been captured in Kenya. The foal was photographed in the Maasai Mara National Reserve
Abdelrahman Hassanein
27/50 3 October 2019
A devotee dressed as the Hindu deity Maha Kali performs during Navratri festival celebrations in Ajmer in Rajasthan state, India
AFP/Getty
28/50 2 October 2019
A gust of wind lifts the cassock of Pope Francis during the weekly general audience at St.Peter’s square in the Vatican
AFP/Getty
29/50 1 October 2019
Protesters clash with an Iraqi riot police vehicle during a demonstration against state corruption and poor services in Baghdad
AFP/Getty
30/50 30 September 2019
A student protester throws a burning stick at riot police officers during a clash in Jakarta, Indonesia
AP
31/50 29 September 2019
An anti-government protester wearing a mask depicting U.S. President Donald Trump is pushed away by riot police during a demonstration at Causeway Bay district in Hong Kong, China
Reuters
32/50 28 September 2019
A Japan fan smiles before the Japan v Ireland Rugby World Cup match in Shizuoka, Japan
Reuters
33/50 27 September 2019
The Duke of Sussex walks through a minefield in Dirico, Angola, during a visit to see the work of landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust, on day five of the royal tour of Africa
PA
34/50 26 September 2019
A policeman stands on a blocked road in Le Petit-Quevilly as smoke billows from a Lubrizol factory classified SEVESO high-threshold site. Residents of twelve towns including Rouen have been asked to stay at home after a fire broke out according to the prefect of Normandy
AFP/Getty
35/50 25 September 2019
Participants dressed in traditional attire pose for pictures during rehearsals for Garba, a folk dance, in preparations for the upcoming Navratri, a festival during which devotees worship the Hindu goddess Durga, in Ahmedabad, India
Reuters
36/50 24 September 2019
A protester fires at riot police during university students’ protest outside the Indonesian Parliament in Jakarta
Reuters
37/50 23 September 2019
Russia’s Soyuz-FG booster rocket with the Soyuz MS-15 space ship that will carry new crew to the International Space Station (ISS) is transported from its hangar to the launch pad at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. The new Soyuz mission is scheduled on 25 September with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka, US astronaut Jessica Meir and United Arab Emirates astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri
AP
38/50 22 September 2019
An anti-government protester sets a fire during a rally outside the Mong Kok police station in Hong Kong
Reuters
39/50 21 September 2019
New Zealand players perform the haka before their opening Rugby World Cup match against South Africa in Japan. The All Blacks secured a 23-13 victory over their rivals
AFP/Getty
40/50 20 September 2019
Thousands of school students and protesters gather in The Domain ahead of a climate strike rally in Sydney. Millions of people around the world are taking part in protests demanding action on climate issues. The Global Strike For Climate is being held only days ahead of the scheduled United Nations Climate Change Summit in New York
Getty
41/50 19 September 2019
A pedestrian walks by an advertising installation for the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup in Oita, on the eve of the start of the tournament
AFP/Getty
42/50 18 September 2019
Two flamingos at Dresden Zoo in Germany
EPA
43/50 17 September 2019
Strong wind and waves roll in at Nordre Strandvej in Denmark
EPA
44/50 16 September 2019
A moto-taxi driver takes two passengers past a burning barricade set up by people protesting fuel shortages in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
AP
45/50 15 September 2019
People paddle on a stand-up board during sunrise in a beach in Larnaca, Cyprus
Reuters
46/50 14 September 2019
Mourners hold portraits of Zimbabwe’s late President Robert Mugabe as they attend a farewell ceremony at the National Sports Stadium in Harare. Mugabe died in Singapore on September 6 at the age of 95. He left Zimbabwe deeply divided over his legacy with his country still struggling with high inflation and shortages of goods after decades of crisis
AFP/Getty
47/50 13 September 2019
Rescue workers on a boat rescue a person stranded inside a flooded tunnel after heavy floods in Pilar de la Horadada, Spain
Reuters
48/50 12 September 2019
Police officers try to control the crowd after members of the public were invited to view Robert Mugabe’s body as it lies in state at the Rufaro stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe
Reuters
49/50 11 September 2019
A US flag hangs from a steel girder, damaged in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center at a memorial in Jersey City. It is the 18th anniversary of the attacks
AP
50/50 10 September 2019
Local actors dressed as ancient warriors re-enact a scene from the 7th century battle of Kerbala during a ceremony marking Ashura in Iraq
Reuters
This would allow NSO’s clients – said to be governments and intelligence organisations – to secretly spy on a phone’s owner, opening their digital lives up to official scrutiny, it added.
NSO said it disputed the allegations “in the strongest possible terms”.
In a statement, it added: “The sole purpose of NSO is to provide technology to licensed government intelligence and law enforcement agencies to help them fight terrorism and serious crime.”
Used by 1.5 billion people monthly, WhatsApp has often touted a high level of security, including end-to-end encrypted messages that cannot be deciphered by the company or other third parties.
Citizen Lab, a cybersecurity research laboratory based at the University of Toronto that worked with WhatsApp to investigate the phone hacking, told the Reuters press agency that well-known television personalities, prominent women who had been subjected to online hate campaigns and people who had faced assassination attempts and threats of violence, had been targetted.
NSO’s phone hacking software has already been implicated in a series of human rights abuses across Latin America and the Middle East, including a sprawling espionage scandal in Panama and an attempt to spy on an employee of the London-based rights group Amnesty International.
The firm came under particularly harsh scrutiny over the allegation that its spyware played a role in the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul a little over a year ago.
His friend Omar Abdulaziz is one of seven activists and journalists who have taken the spyware firm to court in Israel and Cyprus over allegations that their phones were compromised using NSO technology.
Amnesty has also filed a lawsuit, demanding that the Israeli Ministry of Defense revoke NSO’s export license to “stop it profiting from state-sponsored repression”.
Reuters contributed to this report
IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing.
Black Friday 2019 is nearly here. Find out how to get the best deals here
[ad_2]
Source link
Leave a Comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *