Cyber ​​espionage, Von der Leyen: "Unacceptable". Amnesty: a weapon for repressive governments "

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19 July 2021 European Commission President

Ursula von der Leyen

, responding to a question about the alleged 'Pegasus' spying by some governments, including the Hungarian one, against journalists, said: "What we have read so far, and this it must be verified, but if it is confirmed, it is completely unacceptable, it is against any kind of rule we have in the EU. " "Freedom of the media is one of the core values ​​of the EU".

"National security - said the European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand - is a matter for the Member States, which must guarantee compliance with the rules" and the investigation into possible spying with Pegasus software by

Hungarian journalists

  "It is up to the national data protection authority. We are, however, following this closely.

Amnesty: Pegasus is a weapon for repressive governments 

"The Pegasus Project reveals how the Nso Group's spyware is a weapon available to repressive governments who want to silence journalists, attack activists and crush dissent, putting countless people at risk human lives ". This was stated by Agnés Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, about the news that, according to a survey that involved 50 thousand telephone users that have become public and subject to potential surveillance, including those of heads of state, activists, journalists and family members of Jamal Khashoggi,

Pegasus spyware from the Israeli company Nso Group

it would be used to facilitate human rights violations globally and on a massive scale. The 'Pegasus Project' was born from the collaboration between over 80 journalists from 17 media from 10 countries, under the coordination of 'Forbidden Stories', a non-profit organization based in Paris, with the technical assistance of Amnesty International who scanned cell phones for traces of spyware.

"These revelations belie Nso Group's claims that these attacks are rare and the result of misuse of its technology. The company claims its spyware is only used to legally investigate crime and terrorism, but it is clear that its technology facilitates systematic human rights violations. It claims to act legally, while actually making profits through such violations, "Callamard continued. "The activities of Nso Group highlight the overall lack of regulation thanks to which

a far west of human rights violations against activists and journalists has been created

. Until companies in the sector can prove that they respect human rights, an immediate moratorium on the export, sale, transfer and use of surveillance technology is needed, "he added.

" First, Nso Group should immediately put out of use products supplied to customers for which there is evidence of improper use. And the 'Pegasus Project' supplies it in abundance, "said Callamard." The number of

journalists targeted

extensively illustrates how Pegasus is used to scare critical journalism. We are talking about the control of the public narrative, the resistance to journalistic inquiries and the suppression of any dissident voice, "he added. Furthermore, according to the general secretary of Amnesty International," these revelations must generate change. The surveillance industry can no longer be allowed a lenient approach by precisely those governments that have an interest in using its technology to violate human rights. "

Pegasus, the first names of the" spied "

During the Pegasus spyware investigation revealed evidence that the people targeted were also members of the family of

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi

, before and after the death of the latter, on 2 October 2018, in Istanbul by agents of the Saudi kingdom. Amnesty International's Security Lab verified that Pegasus spyware had installed itself on the phone of Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi's girlfriend, four days before the reporter's murder. In addition, Khashoggi's wife Hanan Elatr was also under surveillance between September 2017 and April 2018, her son Adallah and other family members in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The survey has so far identified

at least 180 journalists in 20 states

- including Azerbaijan, India, Morocco and Hungary, where repression against independent journalism is on the rise - potential targets of the NSO Group's spyware between 2016 and June 2021. However, the investigation highlighted the global dangers caused by illegal surveillance too. in Mexico, Azerbaijan and India. In Mexico, journalist

Cecilio Pineda's

phone

was infected with the Pegasus spyware a few weeks before his murder. The "Pegasus Project" also identified at least 25 Mexican journalists targeted in just over two years. The NSO Group said that even if Pineda's phone was infected, the information gathered by the spyware could not have contributed to his death.

In Azerbaijan, a state where very few independent media still manage to operate, over 40 journalists have been spied on. Amnesty International's Security Lab has verified that the phone of

Sevinc Vaqifqizi,

a freelance from independent TV Meydan, has been infected for two years until May 2021. In India, at least 40 journalists from virtually all major media have been spied between 2017 and 2021. The phones of

Siddharth Varadarajan and MK Venu

, co-founders of the independent news organization "The Wire", were also spied on in June 2021.According to information released so far, on which details will be provided in the coming days, journalists of major international newspapers, such as Associated Press, CNN, The New York Times and Reuters. Among the best-known reports is

Roula Khalaf

, editor of the Financial Times.

The company defends itself

The Israeli Nso "fully denies the accusations made against it" by a network of international media according to which journalists and human rights activists ended up being targeted by authoritarian governments through its Pegasus software to spy on them illegally. In a reaction reported by the Israeli media, Nso denounces the propagation of "

groundless theories, based on erroneous assumptions

"." Nso has already declared in the past - continues the text sent to the local media - that its technology has no connection with the terrible killing of the journalist Khashoggi. We have already verified those statements in the past, and they proved to be unfounded "." Nso sells its products only to recognized governments, with a process that we have described in full transparency "." The fact is - reiterates Nso - that the technology of our society prevents acts of terrorism, pedophilia, drug trafficking and helps in the search for missing persons. Our company saves lives. ”Finally, Nso is committed to ensuring that its customers do not misuse its systems in the future.