Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Al-Jazeera Journalist: I Was 'Traumatized' by Pegasus Spyware

Al-Jazeera Journalist: I Was 'Traumatized' by Pegasus Spyware

Is spyware originally designed to track terrorists being used to harass and intimidate female activists and journalists from the Middle East?

In interviews with NBC News, some of the region’s most prominent women activists and reporters claimed that governments were using “Pegasus” surveillance technology to hack their phones and leak details of their private lives in an effort to undermine their reputations and prevent them from calling governments to account for abuses of power.

“I am used to being harassed online. But this was different,” said Ghada Oueiss, a Lebanese broadcast journalist with Al-Jazeera. “It was as if someone had entered my home, my bedroom, my bathroom. I felt so unsafe and traumatized.”

The use of Pegasus, a set of software tools created and sold by the NSO group, an Israeli-based tech firm, to track journalists was first revealed in an investigation coordinated by Paris-based nonprofit organization Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International.

Researchers examining the leak of 50,000 phone numbers of potential surveillance targets identified by NSO Group’s government agency clients, traced many of the numbers to leading critics of Middle East regimes, including the family of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist who was assassinated by Saudi agents.

One target of Pegasus surveillance was Oueiss, whose private photos — including an image of her in a jacuzzi wearing a bikini — were obtained and posted on Twitter.

Ghada Oueiss via NBC News


That led to an online harassment campaign. Oueiss reported receiving degrading messages from accounts that appeared to support Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, as well as verified government officials.

In messages, she was called old, ugly and a prostitute.

“They wanted to destroy the image of [me as] serious journalist who is not afraid to ask tough questions,” she told NBC News. “They wanted to say, ‘She’s trying to be professional and serious, but she’s just a prostitute and you shouldn’t believe her anymore.’

“I know they want to silence me, but I will not be silenced.”

She filed a lawsuit in December against the crown prince — as well as the United Arab Emirates ruler Mohamed bin Zayed and two Florida-based Twitter users who Oueiss said shared her photos online — alleging that she was targeted for her reporting on the Saudi regime with Pegasus spyware as part of a “broader campaign to silence her and other critics.” The defendants have filed motions to dismiss the case.

Alya Alhwaiti, a Saudi activist now living in London, also believes she was targeted by a so-called “hack-and-leak” attack.

She told NBC that her phone regularly froze, and she saw messages on screen suggesting that files were being transferred.

In 2018, her phone started behaving strangely: The device often froze. She received calls from strange numbers and occasionally messages appeared on screen indicating that files were being transferred, she said.

At the same time, she was receiving threats and intimidating messages online that she said she believes were from individuals connected to the Saudi government.

Alya Ahlwaiti via NBC News


Ahlwaiti, who was Saudi Arabia’s first professional female equestrian and represented the country in sporting events, said she went to police who told she had been hacked and advised her to get a new phone.

But, she told NBC, in the summer of 2020, pictures on her phone appeared online in Twitter accounts showing her wearing a short dress or sunbathing, accompanied by fabricated stories suggesting she was promiscuous.

A digital forensic firm called Citizen Lab found traces of Pegasus on her phone and suggested once again that she get a new one.

But she no longer feels safe, Ahlwaiti said.

“I feel like I am being watched and I always have to watch behind my shoulder,” she said.

NSO Group licenses the spyware to governments to track terrorists and criminals who use encrypted devices, according to the company’s website.

NSO Group spokesperson Louis Rynsard told NBC News that the company “does not have sight” of the surveillance targets its government clients select, although NSO Group carries out “‘compliance checks’” to reduce the chance of misuse.

Amnesty International has called on governments to issue a moratorium on the export, sale and use of surveillance technology until a human-rights-compliant regulatory framework is established.

The situation spotlights the danger of surveillance technologies, particularly for women.

Pegasus is a spyware tool and a weapon used against freedom of the press, freedom of expression, human rights activism and journalism,” said Rasha Abdul Rahim, director of Amnesty Tech, a division of Amnesty International focused on technology and surveillance tools. “Women’s freedom of expression is abused and targeted in a very specific way both online and offline.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
×