**Israeli Spyware Maker NSO Acquired by US Investment Group**
*By Akash Pandey | October 11, 2025, 10:59 AM*
—
A US investment group has acquired the Israeli spyware manufacturer NSO Group, the company notorious for creating the iPhone spyware Pegasus. This acquisition was confirmed by NSO spokesperson Oded Hershowitz, who told TechCrunch that “an American investment group has invested tens of millions of dollars in the company and has acquired controlling ownership.” However, Hershowitz did not reveal the exact amount or the identities of the investors involved.
### Deal Details: NSO’s Core Operations to Stay in Israel
The confirmation follows a report by Israeli tech news site Calcalist, which stated that a group led by Hollywood producer Robert Simonds had agreed to purchase the surveillance technology company for tens of millions of dollars.
Despite the change in ownership, Hershowitz assured that NSO Group’s headquarters and core operations will remain in Israel. The company will continue to operate under the supervision and regulation of relevant Israeli authorities.
### Major Leadership Change
As part of the acquisition deal, NSO’s co-founder and executive chairman Omri Lavie will step down from his role. This marks a significant leadership transition for the company. Neither Lavie, Simonds, nor Simonds’ Hollywood company STX Entertainment have publicly commented on this development yet.
### Controversies Surrounding NSO Group
NSO Group has been at the center of numerous controversies since its inception. Its spyware has been linked to targeting journalists, dissidents, and human rights defenders through government customers in several countries, including India, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
In 2021, the US Commerce Department banned American companies from trading with NSO after it was discovered that the company had targeted a dozen US government officials abroad.
### Concerns Over the Acquisition
John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab who has spent over a decade investigating abuses of NSO’s spyware, expressed serious concerns regarding the acquisition. He questioned the trustworthiness of someone like Robert Simonds overseeing a company with such a controversial history.
“This dictator tech does not belong anywhere near Americans or our constitutionally protected rights or freedoms,” Scott-Railton stated.
—
The future of NSO under new American ownership remains to be closely watched, especially given the company’s troubled past and global impact on privacy and human rights.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/us-investment-group-acquires-controversial-israeli-spyware-maker-nso-group/story