Israeli-made Pegasus spyware has been used in Jordan to hack the cellphones of at least 30 individuals, including journalists, lawyers, human rights and political activists, according to a report by digital rights group Access Now. The hacking, which occurred from early 2020 until last November, was carried out using spyware developed by Israel's NSO Group. Access Now did not directly accuse the Jordanian government of being behind the hacking, but one of the targets, Human Rights Watch's deputy director for the region, Adam Coogle, expressed difficulty in imagining who else would have an interest in hacking those who were targeted. The Jordanian government has not yet commented on the report.

In a separate report in 2022, the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab identified two operators of the spyware who may have been agents of the Jordanian government. Axios had previously reported on negotiations between Jordan's government and NSO Group in 2021. Access Now believes that the reported cases are just the beginning and that the actual number of victims is likely much higher. Marwa Fatafta, Access Now's Middle East and North Africa director, stated that at least 30 out of the 35 known targeted individuals were successfully hacked. Citizen Lab confirmed all but five of the infections, with 21 victims choosing to remain anonymous due to the risk of reprisal. The remaining victims were identified by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International's Security Lab, and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.

NSO Group claims to only sell its spyware to vetted intelligence and law enforcement agencies for use against terrorists and serious criminals. However, cybersecurity researchers have documented numerous cases of politically motivated abuse of the spyware in 45 countries, including Mexico, Thailand, Poland, and Saudi Arabia. The company has refused to confirm or deny its clients' identities, but states that it investigates any reports of abuse. In November 2021, the Israeli government blacklisted NSO Group after Apple Inc. sued the company, accusing its employees of creating highly sophisticated cyber-surveillance machinery that invites routine and flagrant abuse.

Among those targeted in Jordan were Human Rights Watch's senior researcher for Jordan and Syria, Hiba Zayadin, and Human Rights Watch's deputy director for the region, Adam Coogle. Both received threat notifications from Apple in August 2023, warning of state-sponsored attackers attempting to compromise their iPhones. Coogle's personal iPhone was successfully hacked in October 2022, just two weeks after the human rights group published a report on the persecution and harassment of citizens involved in peaceful political dissent. In response, Coogle activated “Lockdown Mode” on his iPhone, a precaution recommended by Apple for individuals at high risk. Human Rights Watch has reached out to NSO Group regarding the attacks and requested an investigation into the hack of Coogle's device, but has not received a substantive response.

Hala Ahed, a Jordanian human rights lawyer known for defending women's and workers' rights as well as prisoners of conscience, was also targeted by Pegasus spyware at least twice. Access Now reported successful hacking in March 2021 and an unsuccessful attempt in February 2023. The report states that around half of the individuals targeted by Pegasus in Jordan were journalists or media workers. Palestinian-American journalist and columnist Dauod Kuttab was hacked with Pegasus three times between February 2022 and September 2023. Kuttab revealed that he had learned important lessons about not clicking on links in messages claiming to be from legitimate contacts, as this was how one of the Pegasus hacks targeted him. While Kuttab did not speculate on who might have targeted him, he expressed concern about the compromise of his sources and the violation of his privacy, emphasizing that regardless of the perpetrator, such actions are unacceptable.