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> There is no principled take here. This is a problem with who the software was sold to, not that the software was sold.

Untrue. In any hands tools like these, combined with the vulnerable consumer products, are dreadful. Selling tools like these to anybody is unethical. If they buy these tools they are up to no good.




It’s not that black and white.

If such a tool could have prevented 9/11 (the argument that NSO makes) isn’t that a good?

What is problematic is that these tools are used with very little transparency and oversight (not necessarily disclosing vulnerabilities) which allows such tools to be targeted on not just “criminals” but also anyone organizations/nation states deems problematic (journalists, advocates, dissidents, etc)




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