as “Israeli-controlled,” are known for selling shady cyber exploits that can infiltrate mobile devices, steal data, and monitor a user’s activity. Critics say such tools are commonly used by governments to hack the phones of journalists and political activists and can provide full-spectrum visibility into the targets’ lives.
Both companies have now been placed on the U.S. Commerce Department’s Entity List, which is a roster of foreign firms that have been deemed as working contrary to U.S. interests. Placement on the list means that American companies must secure a special license from the U.S. government if they wish to work with firms on the list. Suffice it to say, most firms don’t go through the trouble to do that and getting placed on the list can all but tank your business.