11 minutes agoFrance launches investigation after scandal with Israeli spy software
Periskopi(5 years ago)
(5 years ago)French prosecutors have launched investigations into allegations that some journalists from the local research site, Mediapart, have been spying on through an Israeli programme. The French investigation will analyse 10 different charges, including whether there have been privacy violations or fraudulent access to personal electronic devices, the Paris Prosecutor's Office said on 20 July. [...]
The French investigation will analyse 10 different charges, including whether there have been privacy violations or fraudulent access to personal electronic devices, the Paris Prosecutor's Office said on 20 July.
The investigation has become even more priority after the French daily Le Monde reported on July 20th that French President Emmanuel Macron and some clear government officials have been targeted for potential surveillance in a case of spying.
The announcement of the launch of the investigation comes a day after the Mediapart page has made criminal speculation, accusing Monaco's secret services of using Israeli company NSO software for spying to spy on the mobile phones of two of its journalists.
Politicians and human rights groups around the world have expressed their anger this week, following reports that a number of autocratic regimes, but democratic governments, have used software called Pegasus, to punish journalists, officials and activists.
An investigation conducted by 17 media outlets including Le Monde published on July 18th has established connections between the company The NSO, accused of providing governments with this software, with a database of over 50,000 phone numbers believed to have been identified as people of interest by company customers since 2016.
The NSO company has had clients the Governments of Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Hungary, Indies, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Monaco, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Togos and the United Arab Emirates, is said in research.
The NSO company itself has rejected any wrongdoing, saying the software was designed to prosecute criminals and terrorists and is available only to the military, law enforcement officials and intelligence agencies, with high level of respect for human rights.
The list includes 189 journalists, more than 600 politicians and government officials -- at least 65 businessmen, 85 human rights activists and several heads of state -- has reported the US daily The Washington Post.
Journalists work for mediums including Radio Free Europe, Associated Press, Reuters, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Le Monde and Financial Times.
Pegasus infects iPhone and Android devices, enabling operators to record phone conversations, access messages, photos, emails, passwords, and secretly activate microphones and cameras. / REL
