NSO chairman steps down amid outrage over spyware use by Israel Police

Asher Levy, the chairman of the controversial NSO Group, has stepped down amid a scandal over Israel Police’s use of its spyware Pegasus against civilians, the Calcalist business news site reports.

יו"ר NSO אשר לוי התפטר מתפקידו:

לוי מונה לתפקיד היו"ר באפריל 2020. לדבריו הוא היה נציגה של הקרן האנגלית נובלפינה, ומשזו עזבה את החברה, הוא הודיע על פרישתו במקביל. ההתפטרות מתרחשת על רקע חשיפת השימוש שעשתה המשטרה בתוכנת NSO כדי לעקוב אחר אזרחים. pic.twitter.com/L7TNjkSG70

— נתנאל (@vpxoBa4JYRN2EQU) January 25, 2022

The outlet quotes Levy and NSO as saying it is a standard move since Levy was chairman on behalf on English fund Novalpina Capital, and once the fund ended its involvement with NSO and was replaced by Berkeley Research Group, a new chairman has been appointed, Finbarr O’Connor.

Levy was NSO chairman starting in April 2020. Numerous revelations have since emerged about alleged rights violations by governments using the firm’s Pegasus spyware.

Over the past week, Calcalist has revealed that Israeli police used it for years against Israeli civilians, allegedly without oversight and against people not suspected of crimes. Police have denied the charges, though they have appeared to acknowledge using Pegasus.