2. Background: the already-notorious NSO Group makes mercenary spyware to silently & remotely hack iPhones & Androids.
Many of their government customers are authoritarians.
Most cannot resist the temptation to target their critics, reporters, human rights groups etc.
3. More about leaked numbers & targets in a sec, but first you need to know:
@AmnestyTech just released a report with technical analysis of NSO's infrastructure... & analysis validating w/forensics that some phones were infected with Pegasus.
Hungary's far-right PM Viktor Orbán is using Pegasus spyware to surveil & attack Hungary's independent media, like @direkt36, @panyiszabolcs, and many more.
9. #INDIA🇮🇳 Over 40 reporters, major opposition figures, serving ministers in the #Modi government, members of the security services and beyond are in the list.
- #PegasusProject reporting consistent w/targeting in #NSOGroup's 2019 attack on WhatsApp users.
- Points out: in *only* 2 weeks 1.4k numbers were confirmed targeted in 2019. Do the math.
36. BIG DEAL: today @WhatsApp CEO @wcathcart *publicly confirmed* that senior national security officials of US allies🇺🇸 were targeted with #Pegasus spyware in 2019.
Clear message: #NSOGroup spyware is a national security threat.
#Pegasus spyware was used to target people via WhatsApp in 2019. WhatsApp spotted it, quickly shut it down, notified all targets...and then *sued* NSO.
WILD: actual photo of Musk-hired door knockers being driven around #Michigan.
This group of mostly-black workers were driven in the back of a truck with no seats.
They say they were flown in, given unrealistic goals, and threatened with their lodging being cut off & being forced to pay their own way home if they couldn't meet them.
Some didn't even know which candidate they were working for.
A "PRO-ISRAEL TEAM WE CAN TRUST" designed to look like a #HarrisWalz campaign ad is micro-targeted to areas with a high muslim population around Dearborn, Michigan.
Meanwhile, same Musk-backed PAC has a "WHY PANDER TO PALESTINE?" ad micro-targeted to areas in Pennsylvania.
2/ Beyond targeting the national election, specific Senate & House races were also a focus of efforts. As were specific figures like @SenatorBaldwin, who was apparently a perennial target.
3/ @DarrenLinvill is absolutely right here.
This campaign exposed by the @ClemsonHub team still gives off early-day vibes.
It is only going to get more sophisticated from here.