**Israeli Spyware Maker NSO Acquired by US Investment Group**
*By Akash Pandey | October 11, 2025, 10:59 AM*
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A US investment group has acquired Israeli spyware manufacturer NSO Group, the company known for its controversial iPhone spyware, Pegasus. The 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 financial details or the identities of the investors involved.
### Deal Details and Operations
The confirmation follows reports from Israeli tech news site Calcalist, which stated that a group led by Hollywood producer Robert Simonds had agreed to purchase NSO Group for tens of millions of dollars. Despite the change in ownership, Hershowitz assured that NSO’s headquarters and core operations will remain in Israel. The company will continue to operate under the supervision and regulation of relevant Israeli authorities.
### Leadership Changes
As part of the acquisition deal, NSO’s co-founder and executive chairman Omri Lavie will step down from his role, marking a significant leadership transition. Neither Lavie, Simonds, nor Simonds’ Hollywood company, STX Entertainment, have yet commented publicly on this development.
### Controversies Surrounding NSO Group
NSO Group has faced ongoing controversies since its inception. Its spyware has reportedly been used by government customers in countries such as India, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE to target and hack journalists, dissidents, and human rights defenders.
In 2021, the US Commerce Department placed NSO Group on a trade blacklist, banning American companies from conducting business with it after evidence surfaced that the spyware had been used to target a dozen US government officials abroad.
### Concerns Over the Acquisition
John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab who has investigated abuses of NSO’s spyware for over a decade, expressed concerns regarding the new acquisition. He questioned whether someone like Robert Simonds could be trusted to properly oversee a company with such a controversial history, stating, “This dictator tech does not belong anywhere near Americans or our constitutionally protected rights or freedoms.”
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The acquisition of NSO Group by a US-based investment group raises significant questions about the company’s future direction and the implications for privacy and human rights, especially given its complex and controversial past.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/us-investment-group-acquires-controversial-israeli-spyware-maker-nso-group/story