NSO would not sell to Turkey, for example, because of its poor record on human rights, current and former employees said. But on the World Bank index, Turkey ranks higher than Mexico and Saudi Arabia, both NSO clients. Without access to Mr. Khashoggi’s devices, researchers have not confirmed whether he was a direct target of NSO surveillance. Within a year, the Emirati government was caught installing NSO spyware on the mobile phone of Ahmed Mansoor, a prominent human rights activist. But by then, Mr. Mansoor had already been fired from his job, had his passport confiscated, his car stolen, his email hacked, his location tracked, his bank account emptied of $140,000, and was beaten by strangers twice in the same week.

Source: New York Times March 21, 2019 17:27 UTC