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🔒European Politician's Phone Hacked With Pegasus Spyware During Investigatory Committee

First EU Parliament Member Publicly Identified as Spyware Victim

TL;DR

A European politician serving on the PEGA committee had their phone hacked using Pegasus spyware. This marks the first public identification of a member of this committee as a victim, raising questions about government use of such tools.

A European politician's phone was hacked with Pegasus spyware while they were part of an investigatory committee in 2022 and 2023. The hack occurred during critical discussions on email and text messages before the delivery of a draft report, highlighting the intensity of focus on the committee's work. This marks the first time a member of the PEGA committee has been publicly identified as a victim of spyware, raising serious questions about how governments use such tools ostensibly for crime prevention.

European Politician's Phone Hacked With Pegasus Spyware During Investigatory Committee — TechCrunch

Key Points

1

The hacking occurred during 2022 and 2023 while the politician was on an investigatory committee.

2

This is the first time a member of the European Parliament's PEGA committee has been publicly identified as a victim of spyware.

3

Citizen Lab researchers did not attribute the hack to a specific country, but noted similarities with previous campaigns targeting journalists across Europe.

4

The exploit was a 'zero-click' bug that compromised Apple's iPhone software without user interaction.

5

NSO Group remains banned from use in the US following an executive order by President Biden.

Why It Matters

If you're involved in any investigatory committee or work with sensitive information, this hack raises serious concerns about the security of your communications. The timing and nature of the attack suggest a targeted effort to undermine the rule of law.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does this matter?

If you're involved in any investigatory committee or work with sensitive information, this hack raises serious concerns about the security of your communications. The timing and nature of the attack suggest a targeted effort to undermine the rule of law.

What happened?

A European politician serving on the PEGA committee had their phone hacked using Pegasus spyware. This marks the first public identification of a member of this committee as a victim, raising questions about government use of such tools.

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