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Israeli spyware sold to authoritarian states to targets activists

Monday, 19 July 2021 11:40 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 20 July 2021 12:25 AM ]

Ahmed Kaballo
Press TV, London

How safe are our mobile phones? This is a question many activists and journalists have been pondering for some time now and according to an investigation by over 17 media organizations, it appears that many of their worse fears have been confirmed.

Their investigation found that Human rights activists, journalists, and lawyers across the world have been targeted by authoritarian States using hacking software sold by the Israeli surveillance company NSO Group.

The spyware referred to as Pegasus acts as malware that infects mobile phones to enable operators to extract crucial information and secretly activate microphones.

Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Hungary, India, Azerbaijan, Mexico, and Rwanda are the states that have been accused of purchasing the controversial software with allegations that the hacking device was used on the phone of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi before he was hacked to pieces inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul back in 2018.

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