Budapest Post

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

El Salvador denies responsibility for hacking journalists after report finds Pegasus spyware on their phones

El Salvador denies responsibility for hacking journalists after report finds Pegasus spyware on their phones

El Salvador's government has denied responsibility for hacking the cell phones of at least 35 journalists and other members of civil society by using the spying program known as Pegasus.

The denial comes after a report from Access Now and Citizen Lab, two groups specializing in cybersecurity, that claimed the spying happened between 2020 and 2021. The report did not say who was responsible for the hacking.

The report claims that the hacking targeted at least 22 journalists from El Faro -- the influential El Salvadoran digital news outlet -- as well as journalists from several other outlets.

Carlos Dada, the founder and director of El Faro, alleges that the Salvadoran government is responsible for the hacking.

"It hasn't surprised us to know we were hacked but the amount, frequency and duration of the hacking did. Nearly everyone at El Faro has been hacked," Dada said.

The report from Access Now and Citizen Lab said the attacks first began in July 2020 and continued until mid-November 2021.

Independent experts from Amnesty International reviewed the findings of the report and concurred with its conclusions.

"The use of Pegasus for the surveillance of communications in El Salvador reveals a new threat to human rights in the country," Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International Americas Director said in a Thursday statement.

"The authorities must stop any efforts to restrict freedom of expression and conduct a thorough and impartial investigation to identify those responsible," Guevara-Rosas said.

Julia Gavarrete was one of the El Faro journalists whose phone was hacked. She said that she was at a government press conference in 2020 when someone broke into her apartment and stole her computer and a few belongings. She speculates that it might have something to do with the hacking.

"You can feel fear, but at the end, you know that you are doing things that are correct and you can not give them the power to control your life," Gavarrete told CNN.

Gavarrete said while she cannot directly prove that the government is responsible for the attacks, the timings of the attacks were conspicuous because they seemed to line up neatly with stories she and her colleagues were pursuing at the time that could prove damaging to the government.

Government denies spying


President Nayib Bukele's administration has rejected the claim that it was behind the hacking.

"The government of El Salvador doesn't have the resources nor the licenses to utilize this type of software," Sofía Medina, Bukele's communication secretary said in a statement. Medina said that the government is not connected to the use of Pegasus software, nor to the company that created it, an Israeli company called NSO Group.

Medina added that in November, she received an alert from Apple -- as did others in the government -- about a possible hack into her cell phone.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele speaks at a press conference in San Salvador earlier this month.


"We have indications that members of the government were also victims of these attacks," said Medina, adding that the government is already investigating the use of Pegasus and other systems to hack cell phones in the country.

CNN has asked the NSO Group for comment on the findings of the new investigation, but has not yet received a direct response.

In a statement, the company said its systems were not currently active in El Salvador but promised an investigation once it receives the telephone numbers of those phones that had allegedly been hacked to determine if there had been past misuse of its systems.

NSO Group said that it only provides software and that it doesn't actively operate the technology -- nor does it have access to the data is subsequently collects. The company added that the use of its cybersecurity tools to monitor dissidents, activists and journalists is a serious misuse of that technology.

On its website, NSO Group says that it only seeks clients who will use their product for the "legal and necessary needs of prevention and investigation of terrorism and other grave crimes."

NSO Group says for that reason, it only grants licenses to those government intelligence and law enforcement agencies following what it calls a process of investigation and licensing by the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

Responding to past allegations of misuse of its products, NSO Group told CNN in an email statement: "We regret to see, time and time again, how the name of our company is mentioned in news that has nothing to do with NSO, directly or indirectly."

El Salvador is one of 25 countries who governments had acquired surveillance systems from Circles, a company affiliated with NSO Group, according to a study published in December of 2020 by Citizen Lab.

According to that report, the system began operating in 2017 during a previous administration. CNN attempted to reach the then Vice President Óscar Ortiz about those claims, but a request for comment was not answered.

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
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×