The NSO Group, a controversial developer of government-grade spyware, has published its latest transparency report this Wednesday. The document claims the firm is entering a “new phase of accountability,” yet analysts and human rights watchdogs are dismissing the effort as a strategic move to secure removal from the U.S. government’s Entity List.
A Shift in Strategy Amid Market Entry
The release comes as NSO seeks to re-enter the U.S. market under new ownership and leadership. Last year, the company was acquired by a group of U.S. investors, triggering a significant corporate overhaul. This transition included the appointment of former Trump administration official David Friedman as executive chairman, the departure of CEO Yaron Shohat, and the exit of the company’s final remaining founder, Omri Lavie, as reported by Haaretz.
Despite these changes, critics argue the report lacks substantive evidence of internal reform. Natalia Krapiva, senior tech-legal counsel at Access Now, labeled the document “window dressing.” According to Krapiva, NSO is attempting to convince Washington that it has fundamentally evolved since its blacklisting, but the report offers no concrete data to back these assertions.
Missing Data and Accountability Gaps
While previous disclosures provided specific figures regarding terminated contracts and rejected business opportunities, the 2025 report is notably sparse. Unlike its predecessors, this document fails to disclose the total number of customers or provide details on investigations into human rights abuses linked to its surveillance tools.
- 2024 Report: NSO claimed to have investigated three potential misuse cases, cutting ties with one client.
- 2022-2023 Report: The company reported the suspension or termination of six government customers.
- 2021 Report: NSO stated it had disconnected five customers, citing over $100 million in lost revenue.
In the current report, NSO provides broad promises of human rights compliance without the granular statistics that previously allowed for external oversight. When questioned regarding the absence of these metrics, NSO spokesperson Gil Lanier did not provide a response.
The U.S. Regulatory Landscape
Since the Biden administration placed NSO on the Entity List, the firm has intensified lobbying efforts to lift trade restrictions. These attempts have continued under the current administration, though success has remained elusive. As of May last year, reports indicated that NSO had failed to sway the new administration despite its efforts.
John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at The Citizen Lab, expressed skepticism regarding the company’s latest disclosures. “Nothing in this document allows outsiders to verify NSO’s claims,” Scott-Railton noted, describing the report as consistent with the company’s decade-long history of misrepresentation. As the industry watches, the question remains whether the U.S. government will view these changes as a genuine transformation or merely a tactical rebranding.