Israel’s Cognyte gained tender to promote intercept spyware and adware to Myanmar earlier than coup -documents By Reuters

© Reuters. Indicators of the Israeli firm Cognyte, are seen on their headquarters constructing in Herzliya close to Tel Aviv, Israel January 13, 2023. REUTERS/Nir Elias
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By Fanny Potkin and Poppy McPherson
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Israel’s Cognyte Software program Ltd gained a young to promote intercept spyware and adware to a Myanmar state-backed telecommunications agency a month earlier than the Asian nation’s February 2021 army coup, in keeping with paperwork reviewed by Reuters.
The deal was made though Israel has claimed it stopped defence expertise transfers to Myanmar following a 2017 ruling by Israel’s Supreme Court docket, in keeping with a authorized criticism lately filed with Israel’s lawyer basic and disclosed on Sunday.
Whereas the ruling was subjected to a uncommon gag order on the request of the state and media can’t cite the decision, Israel’s authorities has publicly said on quite a few events that defence exports to Myanmar are banned.
The criticism, led by high-profile Israeli human rights lawyer Eitay Mack who spearheaded the marketing campaign for the Supreme Court docket ruling, requires a prison investigation into the deal. It accuses Cognyte and unnamed defence and overseas ministry officers who supervise such offers of “aiding and abetting crimes towards humanity in Myanmar.”
The criticism was filed on behalf of greater than 60 Israelis, together with a former speaker of the home in addition to outstanding activists, lecturers and writers.
The paperwork concerning the deal, offered to Reuters and Mack by activist group Justice for Myanmar, are a January 2021 letter with attachments from Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) to native regulators that listing Cognyte because the successful vendor for intercept expertise and observe the acquisition order was issued “by thirtieth Dec 2020”.
Intercept spyware and adware can provide authorities the ability to eavesdrop on calls, view textual content messages and internet site visitors together with emails, and monitor the places of customers with out the help of telecom and web companies.
Representatives for Cognyte, Myanmar’s army authorities and MPT didn’t reply to a number of Reuters requests for remark. Japan’s KDDI (OTC:) Corp and Sumitomo Corp, which have stakes in MPT, declined to remark, saying they weren’t aware about particulars on communication interception.
Israel’s lawyer basic didn’t reply to requests for remark concerning the criticism. The overseas affairs ministry didn’t reply to requests for remark concerning the deal, whereas the defence ministry declined to remark.
Two individuals with information of Myanmar’s intercept plans individually advised Reuters the Cognyte system was examined by MPT. They declined to be recognized for worry of retribution by Myanmar’s junta.
MPT makes use of intercept spyware and adware, a supply with direct information of the matter and three individuals briefed on the problem advised Reuters though they didn’t determine the seller. Reuters was unable to find out whether or not the sale of Cognyte intercept expertise to MPT was finalised.
Even earlier than the coup, public concern had mounted in Israel concerning the nation’s defence exports to Myanmar after a brutal 2017 crackdown by the army on the nation’s Rohingya inhabitants whereas Aung San Suu Kyi’s authorities was in energy. The crackdown prompted the petition led by Mack that requested the Supreme Court docket to ban arms exports to Myanmar.
Because the coup, the junta has killed hundreds of individuals together with many political opponents, in keeping with the United Nations.
COGNYTE UNDER FIRE
Many governments around the globe enable for what are generally known as ‘lawful intercepts’ for use by legislation enforcement companies to catch criminals however the expertise just isn’t ordinarily employed with none sort of authorized course of, cybersecurity consultants have stated.
In keeping with trade executives and activists beforehand interviewed by Reuters, Myanmar’s junta is utilizing invasive telecoms spyware and adware with out authorized safeguards to guard human rights.
Mack stated Cognyte’s participation within the tender contradicts statements made by Israeli officers after the Supreme court docket ruling that no safety exports had been made to Myanmar.
Whereas intercept spyware and adware is usually described as “dual-use” expertise for civilian and defence functions, Israeli legislation states that “dual-use” expertise is assessed as defence gear.
Israeli legislation additionally requires firms exporting defence-related merchandise to hunt licenses for export and advertising when doing offers. The authorized criticism stated any officers who granted Cognyte licenses for Myanmar offers ought to be investigated. Reuters was unable to find out whether or not Cognyte obtained such licenses.
Across the time of the 2020 deal, the political state of affairs in Myanmar was tense with the army disputing the outcomes of an election gained by Suu Kyi.
Norway’s Telenor, beforehand one of many greatest telecoms companies in Myanmar earlier than withdrawing from the nation final yr, additionally stated in a Dec. 3, 2020 briefing and assertion that it was involved about Myanmar authorities’ plans for a lawful intercept on account of inadequate authorized safeguards.
Nasdaq-listed Cognyte was spun off in February 2021 from Verint Methods (NASDAQ:) Inc, a pioneering big in Israel’s cybersecurity trade.
Cognyte, which had $474 million in annual income for its final monetary yr, was additionally banned from Fb in 2021. Fb proprietor Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:) stated in a report Cognyte “allows managing pretend accounts throughout social media platforms”.
Meta stated its investigation recognized Cognyte prospects in a variety of nations equivalent to Kenya, Mexico and Indonesia and their targets included journalists and politicians. It didn’t determine the purchasers or the targets.
Meta didn’t reply to a request for additional remark.
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund final month dropped Cognyte from its portfolio, saying states stated to be prospects of its surveillance services “have been accused of extraordinarily severe human rights violations”. The fund didn’t identify any states.
Cognyte has not responded publicly to the claims made by Meta or Norway’s sovereign wealth fund.