Thread by @StefSimanowitz

61/. Human rights lawyer & husband of ex-PM, Cherie Blair has been revealed as ‘ethics advisor’ to NSO, the Israeli firm that sold #PegasusSpyware to human rights abusing govts

NSO are implicated in facilitating the murder of Jamal Kashoggi. #Pegasus thetimes.co.uk/article/cherie…

62/. On Saturday, we mark the 4th anniversary of the murder of #DaphneCaruanaGalizia

At the time, she was investigating the Panama Papers & links btw SCL/#CambridgeAnalytica & Henley Ptnrs

There are vigils in Malta & London

@Europarl_EN has a journalism award in her honour.

https://twitter.com/StefSimanowitz/status/1052111285725356032

63/. In times of greater repression the job of journalists becomes more vital than ever: more vital & more dangerous

It’s in the interest of the corrupt & powerful to silence effective media

Today we mark 4 years since the murder of #DaphneCaruanaGalizia

https://twitter.com/StefSimanowitz/status/1389081005546479617

64/. The idea for the #DaphneProject came about 4 years ago based on the idea: “You can kill a journalist but you can’t kill a story”

Fittingly, ystdy #PegasusProject investigation, led by @FbdnStories, won the #DaphneCaruanaGalizia prize for journalism awarded by @Europarl_EN

https://twitter.com/FbdnStories/status/1448605426212290562

65/. #BREAKING: India’s Supreme Court has set up an independent expert committee to investigate the use of #PegasusSpyware against journalists, opposition MP’s & others.

“This is a huge vindication of #PegasusProject investigation. Let the inquiry begin!” @svaradarajan
#Pegasus

https://twitter.com/AmnestyTech/status/1453376979865067524

66/. Getting away with murder

Today is Intnl Day to #EndImpunity for Crimes against Journalists

The vast majority of journalist killings go unpunished

@pressfreedom reveals 226 journalists were murdered with impunity in the last decade

@globalfreemedia ipi.media/impunity-day-i…

67/. Around the world, investigative journalists face threats & intimidation

Impunity in cases of murdered journalists undermines #pressfreedom.

A threat to press freedom is a threat to ALL our freedoms.
#EndImpunity @UNESCO @pressfreedom @hrw @RSF_inter

https://twitter.com/StefSimanowitz/status/1389083686608515080

68/. #BREAKING: NSO Group placed on a US blacklist by @JoeBiden admin after it determined the #PegasusSpyware maker has acted “contrary to the US foreign policy & national security interests”
@skirchy in @guardian @FbdnStories #PegasusProject @AmnestyTech theguardian.com/us-news/2021/n…

69/. The #PegasusProject has been awarded a @RSF_inter award for its impact

But what had the impact been so far?👇

Well done @FbdnStories @AmnestyTech @citizenlab @guardian @haaretzcom @lesoir @DIEZEIT @proceso @direkt36 @OCCRP @thewire_in @frontlinepbs

70/. “NSO Group is in crisis,” according to @HowellONeill in @techreview

“They are struggling & failing to reverse US sanctions & are $500 million in debt. There is doubt at the highest levels about their future”
#Pegasus #PegasusSpyware #pegasusproject
technologyreview.com/2021/11/23/104…

71/. NSO's #Pegasus spyware has been repeatedly used by abusive govts to target peaceful human rights defenders, activists & critics

86 NGOs & independent experts are now asking the EU to #SanctionNSO & ban all use of its technologies
@hrw #PegasusSpyware hrw.org/news/2021/12/0…

72/. The mobile phone of Kamel Jendoubi a UN-backed investigator who was examining possible war crimes by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen was targeted with spyware made by Israel’s NSO Group. #PegasusProject #Pegasus #PegasusSpyware #SaudiArabia
theguardian.com/world/2021/dec…

73/. @AmnestyTech confirms @citizenlab's finding that Polish Senator @KrzysztofBrejza was hacked with #PegasusSpyware during the 2019 parliamentary election campaign

Ruling party chair admits buying #Pegasus but denies it was used for political purposes!
apnews.com/article/techno…

74/. These revelations show the need for govts to stop non-human rights compliant forms of surveillance & for a global moratorium on the export, sale, transfer & use of surveillance equipment, 'til a human rights-compliant regulatory framework is in place.
amnesty.org/en/latest/news…

75/. Israeli police 'used #Pegasus spyware to hack phones of citizens'

"These revelations are further proof that journalists, politicians, lawyers, activists & human rights defenders are all at risk from secretive surveillance," Gil Naveh @AmnestyIsrael middleeasteye.net/news/pegasus-s…

76/. As Israeli spyware dealer NSO Group is facing renewed scrutiny over the abuse of its #Pegasus WhatsApp hacking tools, an US startup - secretly backed by #Palantir’s Peter Thiel - could also rptly hack WhatsApp

Palantir run the NHS #Covid data store.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…

77/. "This is an earthquake"

According to @calcalist, Israel police used NSO's Pegasus spyware against top govt officials, journalists & activistsmall without a court order. (via @haaretzcom)
haaretz.com/israel-news/is…

78/. Today, the @DalaiLama tweeted:

“Whether science or religion is constructive or destructive depends on our motivation & whether we are guided by moral principles”

Last year, it emerged that the Dalai Lama’s closest advisers & staff were potential targets of Pegasus spyware.

https://twitter.com/DalaiLama/status/1490618848118468608

79/. The words of the @DalaiLama echo Carl Sagan’s warning:

“We’ve arranged a society based on science & technology, in which nobody understands anything about science & technology. This combustible mixture of ignorance & power, sooner or later, is going to blow up in our faces”

https://twitter.com/StefSimanowitz/status/1471796744455397379

80/. “OK! I admit it! I had a toke on the spliff, but I never inhaled”

Last week, the FBI finally admitted that it tested NSO Pegasus spyware, but the agency claims “it had not been used in support of any investigation”. #PegasusSpyware #NSOGroup #Israel
democracynow.org/2022/2/3/headl…

81/. “If 2022 is to be a year of reckoning for the wider spyware industry, then govts must prioritize strengthening domestic laws against surveillance & accountability mechanisms & revamp procurement & export controls” @amnesty’s @ErikaGuevaraR #Pegasus
usatoday.com/story/opinion/…

82/. "These new findings increase concerns, not only for politicians, but for the whole of Poland’s civil society" @amnestyPL

@AmnestyTech's Security Lab uncovered evidence of #Pegasus spyware targeting people linked to #Poland's political opposition👇
theguardian.com/world/2022/feb…

83/. Worried about cyber-attacks?

Want to keep yourself as digitally secure as possible?

These might not be able to protect you from sophisticated #PegasusSpyware type attacks, but
here are 8 tips to help.
#Pegasus #CyberAttack #cyberattacks

84/. "Once it owns your phone, it owns everything..."

A new video from @amnesty reveals how @AmnestyTech’s Security Lab & @FbdnStories helped uncover the #PegasusProject spyware scandal 👀
#Pegasus #PegasusSpyware #Pegases2022 amnesty.org/en/latest/news…

85/. Journalists at #IJF22, make sure you check out this👇

The #Pegasus Project: A worldwide collaboration to counter a global crime' with @amnesty’s @Ingleton @laurentrichard0 @sandrinerigaud & @svaradarajan. #PegasusSpyware #PegasusProject @FbdnStories
journalismfestival.com/programme/2022…

86/. Senior officials at the European Commission were targeted last year with #PegasusSpyware designed by Israeli surveillance firm

They included @dreynders
the former European Justice Commissioner #PegasusProject #Pegasus @FbdnStories @AmnestyTech @hrw
reuters.com/technology/exc…

87/. Unbeknownst to him, the phone of Greek journalist @nasoskook was under surveillance for 10 weeks

Who was using this spyware tool, Predator to monitor this @insidestory_gr journalist?

@e_triantafillou & @telloglou report

An investigation is needed. insidestory.gr/article/who-wa…

88/. “The Spanish govt needs to come clean over whether or not it is a customer of NSO Group. It must also conduct an investigation into the use of #PegasusSpyware against the Catalans identified in our #Pegasus investigation”
@amnesty @AmnestyTech #Spain amnesty.org/en/latest/news…

89/. Boris Johnson told that his Downing St office has been targeted with “multiple” suspected infections using #PegasusSpyware the hacking software made by Israeli NSO group

@RonanFarrow reports that the FCO was hacked at least 5 times in 2020/21

@citizenlab links hacks to UAE

https://twitter.com/jsrailton/status/1516030606509019138