Poland’s new government is intensifying its investigation into allegations that the previous administration used Pegasus spyware to monitor opposition figures. Recent reports indicate that the prosecutor’s office in Warsaw has seized devices and documents related to this surveillance campaign. The spyware, developed by the Israeli firm NSO Group, was allegedly used against nearly 600 opposition politicians and allies during the tenure of the populist Law and Justice (PiS) party.
Justice Minister Adam Bodnar, who is also the prosecutor general, has confirmed that letters will be sent to 30 individuals informing them that their phones were hacked by the spyware. The investigation suggests that the scale of the operation is much larger than initially reported. The new coalition government is expected to present a comprehensive report to parliament detailing the extent of the surveillance.
John Scott-Railton of Citizen Lab praised the Polish government’s commitment to transparency, calling it a significant moment for addressing the abuses of Pegasus spyware. The extensive investigation contrasts with the lack of accountability in other countries where similar spyware abuses have occurred, highlighting the ongoing global issue of spyware misuse.
NSO Group, the company behind Pegasus, has faced numerous controversies, including lawsuits from Apple and WhatsApp for aiding in the spying on their users. Despite claiming that its products are sold only for legitimate security purposes, the spyware has been widely reported to be used by authoritarian regimes to target dissidents and opposition figures, leading to significant legal and reputational challenges for NSO Group.
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