The British government has faced criticism after deciding to invite the controversial espionage software provider NSO Group to a secret security trade fair upcoming next month. The government will host the firm, which is based in Israel, as an exhibitor at the closed-door event.

The NSO Group currently faces a lawsuit pursued by WhatsApp in the US over allegations that it helped to develop and deploy the malware that was used on WhatsApp, a popular messaging app, to spy on over a thousand users. NSO Group maintains that they only offer its tools to legitimate law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Read More: UK Government Under Fire Over NSO Group Links