As the Pegasus continues to make headlines globally, the French authorities are investigating if the Moroccan intelligence services had anything to do with the alleged spying on several French journalists. The probe follows reports of military-grade Pegasus spyware from Israeli firm NSO Group being used by governments around the world to snoop on more than 50,000 people in 50 countries including in India and many other countries.
According to AFP report, the prosecutors in Paris will examine if there was a breach of personal privacy, fraudulent access to personal smartphones, criminal association and other charges. Upon the latest discovery, it is now believed that the spying on individuals worldwide using the Pegasus malware is far more extensive than previously thought.
Pegasus spying journalists
Mediapart, an investigative website, filed a legal complaint on Monday as phones of its founder Edwy Plenel and one of its journalists were among those allegedly targeted by the Moroccan intelligence services. Other French journalists targeted in this attack are associated with Le Monde and Agence France-Presse. Another investigative website Le Canard Enchaine is set to file a legal complaint over the spying claims, which Morocco has denied.
Pegasus is malware that infects iPhones and Android devices to enable operators of the tool to extract messages, photos and emails, record calls and secretly activate microphones.
