Cellebrite – Israeli Surveillance in the U.S.
🇮🇱 Israeli Surveillance State in America:🧵
Cellebrite is an Israeli digital-forensics firm embedded in U.S. law enforcement at every level: federal agencies (FBI, ICE, Secret Service), state, and local police departments — even small towns.
🔹 Capabilities:
Unlocks encrypted iPhones & Androids, bypassing passwords and lockscreens
Extracts deleted texts, photos, call logs, app data, GPS location history
Can clone devices or extract data remotely through physical access or networked solutions
🔹 Contracts & Funding:
Secret Service: ~$1.9M for “stand-alone” licenses
FBI: ~$3M subscription for UFED digital forensics platform
US Special Operations Command: ~$26K sole-source purchase
Hundreds of federal, state, and local contracts since 2016
🔹 Overreach & Issues:
Often used with minimal judicial oversight, sometimes without warrants
Originally for serious crime, now used for minor offenses, immigration enforcement, and protest monitoring
Raises 4th Amendment concerns: full phone surveillance, often secretly
Defendants rarely notified when devices are accessed
🔹 Why it matters:
Cellebrite is a direct pipeline from Israel’s surveillance intelligence apparatus into U.S. policing, normalizing invasive digital surveillance without transparency or accountability.
🔹U.S. Operations:
ICE Contract: In September 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reactivated a $2 million contract with Paragon Solutions, which had been previously paused under the Biden administration due to concerns over spyware misuse.
Privacy Concerns: Graphite has been detected on the devices of journalists, migrant advocates, and associates of Pope Francis in Italy, raising alarms about potential misuse and overreach.
📎 Sources:
The Intercept: theintercept.com/2020/07/16/cel…
TechCrunch: techcrunch.com/2021/05/07/cel…
EFF: eff.org/deeplinks/2022…
Paragon Solutions – Israeli Spyware 2.0 in the U.S.
🇮🇱 Israeli Surveillance State in America: 🧵
Paragon is an Israeli spyware firm founded by ex–Israeli intelligence and backed by former PM Ehud Barak. Its tools are marketed to Western governments, including U.S. law enforcement, and rival NSO Group’s Pegasus.
🔹 Capabilities:
“Zero-click” exploits: hack phones without user interaction
Full device takeover: texts, calls, WhatsApp, Signal, Gmail, iMessage
Microphone and GPS access for covert surveillance
Can target both mobile devices and cloud accounts remotely
🔹 Contracts & Funding:
Privately backed by U.S. investors and intelligence-aligned funding
Marketed as lawful intercept software to U.S. agencies and European allies
Linked to pilots and small adoption in U.S. local police, though formal contracts remain partially opaque
🔹 Overreach & Issues:
Operates in constitutional gray zones: zero-click exploits bypass physical warrants entirely
Potential for abuse mirrors Pegasus: journalists, activists, political opponents could be targeted
Brings foreign intelligence infrastructure into U.S. policing, sidestepping democratic oversight
Raises major civil liberties concerns: private companies, foreign-funded, with advanced hacking deployed inside U.S. systems
🔹 Why it matters:
Paragon represents the next generation of Israeli spyware entering the U.S.: fully capable of pre-crime surveillance, deeply intrusive, and operating with minimal oversight. Its adoption signals a move toward a full-fledged AI surveillance state, especially when paired with other tools (Palantir, AI policing pilots).
📎 Sources:
Haaretz: haaretz.com/israel-news/se…
Forbes: forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
Citizen Lab: citizenlab.ca/2025/03/a-firs…
Israeli Control Over U.S. Emergency Systems?🧵
Carbyne, an Israeli technology company, is now integrated into emergency systems in 23 U.S. states, including major cities like New York City, Miami, and Atlanta. Its platform allows:
Real-time video from callers
Precise location tracking of devices
Data transmission directly to first responders
On the surface, it improves emergency response—but the centralization of sensitive data in a foreign-linked system raises serious concerns.
🔹 U.S. Operations
Headquarters & R&D: New York City / Tel Aviv
Adoption: Integrated with local 911/emergency centers across multiple states
Data Flow Risk: All emergency calls, location, and live video feeds pass through Carbyne’s servers, potentially accessible to Israeli-linked personnel
🔹Controversy
Ties to Former Israeli PM Ehud Barak: Raises questions about the company’s intelligence connections
Foreign Influence Risk: Emergency systems are critical infrastructure, and a foreign-linked platform controlling real-time location and communication could be exploited for surveillance or manipulation
Potential AI Overreach: If AI is used to monitor or triage calls, it could pre-screen, flag, or log citizens’ activity in ways that bypass local oversight
🔹 Why This Matters
Data Security: Sensitive personal data from U.S. citizens flows through a foreign-linked system.
Privacy Risk: Emergency calls often include highly personal information; misuse could be catastrophic.
Precedent for Foreign-Controlled AI Surveillance: Sets a framework for other Israeli-linked AI tools to enter critical U.S. systems.
Sources:
Wikipedia – Carbyne: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbyne_(…
Emergency System Integration: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbyne_(…
Controversy/Ties to Ehud Barak: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbyne_(…
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