EU Lawmakers Who Probed Pegasus Spyware Found It on Their Own Phones
Overview
In a striking development that highlights the growing risks facing policymakers, European Parliament members who sat on a committee investigating NSO Group's Pegasus spyware have discovered that at least one of their phones was compromised by the very surveillance tool they were examining.
The Findings
Researchers at Citizen Lab, a cybersecurity laboratory at the University of Toronto, uncovered evidence that Pegasus was successfully deployed against a member of the European Parliament. The discovery came as part of broader investigations into the use of the Israeli-made spyware, which has been linked to surveillance of journalists, activists, and government officials worldwide.
Political Implications
Reacting to the findings, one European Parliament member described the compromise as "a direct attack on the rule of law." The incident raises serious questions about the methods used by those deploying Pegasus and whether the targeting of elected officials was intended to intimidate or surveil those conducting oversight of the spyware industry.
Context
Pegasus, developed by NSO Group, can access messages, calls, photos, and location data on infected devices. The software has faced increasing scrutiny from governments and civil liberties groups concerned about its misuse by authoritarian regimes and other actors.