FBI Investigated Potential Use of Pegasus Spyware

The documents, produced in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed against the FBI by The New York Times, show that in late 2020 and the first half of 2021, FBI agents attempted to use hacking tools produced by Israeli company NSO in their own criminal investigations, despite claims by the FBI that it had bought a license for Pegasus only for research and development.

The documents also allege that the bureau developed a manual for federal prosecutors detailing how the FBI's use of Pegasus should be disclosed in legal proceedings.

However, it is unclear how the bureau planned to use Pegasus, and whether it considered hacking the phones of American citizens, foreigners, or both.

The FBI eventually decided not to use Pegasus in criminal investigations in July 2021 under pressure from the media, which highlighted how governments around the world were abusing hacking software.

Despite the FBI's decision not to use Pegasus in investigations, the bureau remains interested in the potential use of spyware in future investigations.