For Mexican journalists, President López Obrador’s pledge to curb spyware rings hollow
“Practically nothing.” RíoDoce magazine editor Andrés Villarreal spoke with a sigh and a hint of resignation as he described what came of Mexico’s investigation into the attempted hacking of his cell phone. “The federal authorities never contacted me personally. They told us informally that it wasn’t them, but that’s it.” Over five years have passed…
Hungarian journalists targeted by spyware have little hope EU can help
Szabolcs Panyi was not even remotely surprised when Amnesty International’s tech team confirmed in 2021 that his cell phone had been infiltrated by Pegasus spyware for much of 2019. Panyi, a journalist covering national security, high-level diplomacy, and corruption for Hungarian investigative outlet Direkt36, had already long factored into his everyday work that his communications…
David Kaye: Here’s what world leaders must do about spyware
In late June, the general counsel of NSO Group, the Israeli company responsible for the deeply intrusive spyware tool, Pegasus, appeared before a committee established by members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Called the PEGA Committee colloquially, the Parliament established it to investigate allegations that EU member states and others have used “Pegasus and equivalent…
At least 2 Mexican journalists targeted by Pegasus spyware since López Obrador took office
Mexico City, October 3, 2022 – In response to a joint report published Sunday that found Pegasus spyware infected the devices of two Mexican journalists and a human rights defender between 2019 and 2021, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “This new report definitively shows that Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador…
In 2022, journalist killings continue unabated in Mexico amid a climate of impunity
At least 13 journalists have been killed in Mexico in the first eight months of 2022, the highest number the Committee to Protect Journalists has ever documented in the country in a single year. In a country characterized by corruption and organized crime, it’s unclear how many were targeted directly because of their work. CPJ…
CPJ joins letters urging U.S. government to hold NSO Group accountable on spyware
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined human rights and press freedom organizations in separate actions in August urging the United States government to hold NSO Group accountable for providing Pegasus spyware to governments that have used the tool to secretly surveil journalists around the world. In a joint letter to Acting Solicitor General Brian Fletcher…
At least 2 Jordanian journalists targeted by Pegasus spyware
Beirut, April 6, 2022 – Jordanian authorities should conduct a swift and thorough investigation into allegations that two journalists were targeted with Pegasus spyware, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Throughout 2021, Suhair Jaradat, a freelance columnist for media outlets including the London-based Arabic news website Today’s Opinion, was repeatedly targeted by the spyware,…
Israeli journalists call for spyware exemption after Israel denies illegal Pegasus use
As Israel grapples with the aftermath of explosive allegations that police illegally spied on dozens of Israelis, the country’s journalists are calling to be exempt from possible future legislation to oversee surveillance of citizens through spyware. Israel’s justice ministry last month denied a report by Israeli tech site Calcalist about the allegedly unlawful use of…
‘The infections were constant:’ Julia Gavarrete among dozens of Salvadoran journalists targeted with Pegasus spyware
The day El Faro reporter Julia Gavarrete’s father passed away, her phone was infected with Pegasus spyware that could activate the microphone and camera, and read all her messages – one of multiple occasions her privacy was invaded with the tool over the course of several months. Gavarrete made this disturbing discovery while cooperating with…
CPJ joins statement condemning use of Pegasus spyware to target journalists in El Salvador
The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Salvadoran authorities to respond to the discovery of Pegasus spyware on cellphones belonging to at least 30 journalists in El Salvador, joining 14 organizations, media outlets, and individuals in a public statement available in English and Spanish. The statement identified “one of the most persistent and intensive…