When it comes to repressive technologies, nobody beats the Israelis, although the U.S. is either tied or is a close second. From Maknoon Wani at jacobin.com:
Israel has developed one of the most advanced surveillance industries in the world. With government support, companies like the NSO Group have been offering their services to authoritarian regimes to help them clamp down on political dissent.
srael’s surveillance industry is one of the most advanced and prolific in the world. A unique environment of legal enablement, partnerships between private firms and the Israeli military, and the availability of Palestinians as free test subjects has allowed the country to become a world leader in surveillance tech exports.
With around twenty-seven surveillance companies, Israel has one of the biggest clusters of such manufacturers in relation to its size. The NSO Group’s Pegasus is a sophisticated form of spyware categorized as a military export by the Israeli state and only sold with its express permission. Like other surveillance manufacturers, the company is licensed by Israel’s Ministry of Defense.
Pegasus is especially dangerous because it can be planted secretly, giving the attacker total control over a victim’s mobile phone. It effectively undermines all the modern security features like encryption and turns a smartphone into a smart listening device. It can also copy messages, photos, and emails as well as recording calls.
And they get Uncle Sucker to pay for it all with the funds from their egalitarian third world tax colony!
While the same taxable unit dullards volunteer all of their info down to DNA.
Now that is chutzpah.
The Bee couldn’t come up with something so absurd.
Breaking from Snoop Dogg:
Still A G Thang (Instrumental)