In late November, after receiving an iMessage alert from Apple, I learned that #NSO’s #Pegasus spyware was used to infect my phone 5 times between April and August 2021. 
#NSO says it only sells #Pegasus to governments to stop criminals and terrorists, but the attacks against me and countless other activists and journalists are proof that that isn’t true. hrw.org/news/2022/01/2…
The attacks were so-called #ZeroClick attacks, which meant I didn’t do anything—like click on a link—for the attack to start. There is no way to prevent this type of attack.
Once on your device, #Pegasus can harvest more or less any information or extract any file – text messages, emails, contacts, photos, call history, calendar entries, and internet browsing histories.
This doesn’t only impact our rights and security, but also that of anyone we communicate with or about. These attacks make our work harder and riskier. People have been detained, tortured, and even killed, after being attacked by #Pegasus spyware or after someone they know has.
#NSO has said it only sells its products to governments, but which government was responsible for the attack? I still don’t know.
#NSO told us that the targeting of an @HRW staff member's phone would violate company policies and they would look into the claim. hrw.org/sites/default/…
It is no accident that governments are using spyware to target activists and journalists, the very people who uncover their abusive practices. When those who speak out against rights-abusing governments are attacked, that makes us all more vulnerable to abuse.
Governments should suspend the trade in surveillance technology until rights-protecting regulatory frameworks are in place. Governments should also stop using surveillance technologies in ways that violate human rights.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
