“Jordan used Israeli firm’s phone-cracking tool to surveil pro-Gaza activists, report finds”, 22 January 2026.

Authorities in Jordan appear to be using an Israeli digital tool to extract information from the mobile phones of activists and protesters who have been critical of Israel and spoken out in support of Gaza, according to a new report by the Citizen Lab.

A multiyear investigation found with high confidence that Jordanian security authorities have been using forensic extraction tools made by Cellebrite against members of civil society, including two political activists, a student organizer, and a human rights defender...

When Cellebrite’s tool is deployed by authorities who have physical access to a mobile phone, it can extract data including photos, videos, chats, files, saved passwords, location history, wifi history, phone usage records, web history, social media accounts and in some cases data that a user has attempted to delete.

The Citizen Lab, which investigates digital threats against civil society, said its forensic investigation of devices that were previously seized by authorities in Jordan, as well as court records shared with researchers, indicate that the use of Cellebrite by authorities “likely violated human rights treaties Jordan has ratified”...

In a statement to the Guardian, a spokesperson for Cellebrite said that unlike spyware made by companies like NSO Group, the company’s technology is forensic in nature and used to “access private data only in accordance with legal due process or with appropriate consent to aid investigations legally after an event has occurred”.

“The company vets potential customers against internal human rights parameters, leading us to historically cease business in jurisdictions where risks were deemed incompatible with our corporate values,” the spokesperson said. The company added: “We take seriously all allegations of potential misuse of our technology in ways that would run counter to both explicit and implied conditions outlined in our end-user agreement. Once solid information is shared with Cellebrite, we review the allegations and take proactive precise steps to investigate each claim in accordance with our ethics and integrity policies.”

The Jordanian government did not respond to a request for comment…