Among the apparent targets of NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware was the biggest nemesis of “Leader of the Nation” Nursultan Nazarbayev — and people surrounding...
Among the apparent targets of NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware was the biggest nemesis of “Leader of the Nation” Nursultan Nazarbayev — and people surrounding his son-in-law. Also on the list were dozens of loyal government officials.
How new surveillance states keep democracy and the public in check.
When their children were killed or abducted, the parents of Ayotzinapa relentlessly petitioned their government for truth and justice. But even as they placed their hopes in the federal government, it may have targeted them for invasive surveillance.
While they were in office, 14 world leaders from Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East appear to have been selected for targeting with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. Analysis suggests that, in several cases, the users of the hacking tool were their own governments.
NSO Group’s Pegasus software is infamous for the long list of targets — but it’s just one actor in a secretive ecosystem of private spyware vendors. Here’s where it came from, why it matters, and how it’s part of an industry that “democratizes” access to technology that can ruin lives.
Read more: Where NSO Group Came From — And Why It’s Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Pegasus software made by Israeli firm NSO Group was used to spy on the daughter of imprisoned dissident Paul Rusesabagina, whose actions during the 1994 genocide were dramatized in a 2004 film starring Don Cheadle.
Read more: Israeli Spy Tech Used Against Daughter of Man Who Inspired “Hotel Rwanda”
An international investigation found dozens of journalists and activists whose phones were infected with the spyware, which is only sold to governments.
Read more: Israeli-Made Spyware Used to Monitor Journalists and Activists Worldwide
For the first time, forensic evidence shows that powerful Israeli spyware from notorious cyber-surveillance company NSO Group, was used against Azerbaijani journalists. More than 200 names appeared on a leaked list of suspected targets.
Read more: Life in Azerbaijan’s Digital Autocracy: ‘They Want to be in Control of Everything’
What does the data reveal about surveillance? Who was targeted? Were all these people really hacked?
The CEO of Equatorial Guinea's state oil company is accused of skimming petroleum profits, while reporters have linked him to luxury properties around the world.
Read more: Petroleum Profits and Expensive Estates: Equatorial Guinea Oil Chief’s Wealth Revealed
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