Inside Story

Who is responsible when surveillance technology is misused?

Court rejects attempt to stop Israeli tech firm NSO from selling hacking technology to governments.

Activists, journalists and even one of the world’s richest men are said to have been hacked by spyware developed by an Israeli company called the NSO Group.

But the technology firm insists its products are only sold to authorised government agencies to fight “terrorism and crime”.

Rights group Amnesty International has said one of its researchers was also targeted. It sued NSO to revoke its export licence from the Israeli defence ministry.

A court in Tel Aviv dismissed the case after six months of hearings behind closed doors, thereby allowing the company to continue selling products abroad.

So, who should be held responsible when surveillance technology is misused? 

Presenter: Imran Khan

Guests:

Nolen Gertz – Assistant professor, University of Twente in the Netherlands

Amichai Stein – Political analyst

Nishanth Sastry – Professor of computer science, University of Surrey