FRENCH GOV’T DESCRIBES ISRAELI SPYWARE SCANDAL AS ‘EXTREMELY SHOCKING,’ VOWS PROBE

Mon 19 July 2021:

Countries have reportedly used this software to monitor journalists and opponents around the world.

Officially created to help intelligence agencies fight crime, Pegasus software developed by an Israeli company called NSO has been used to spy on journalists, human rights activists and opponents around the world, according to a report. survey published this Sunday by a consortium of journalists.

“These facts are extremely shocking, facts which, if they are proven, are extremely serious,” government spokesman Gabriel Attal told Franceinfo on Monday. “There will obviously be investigations, clarifications requested,” he added.

Gabriel Attal, porte-parole du gouvernement, est l’invité du 8h30 franceinfo, lundi 19 juillet.

📻 Radio ⤵️https://t.co/0naQZOGI72

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— franceinfo (@franceinfo) July 19, 2021

If inserted into a smartphone, the Pegasus software allows you to recover photos, contacts, messages, even those sent from encrypted messaging, but also to activate the microphone and the camera of the device.

The survey underlines that this surveillance is organized by many countries such as Mexico, India, Morocco or Hungary, but that France is not part of it. However, more than 1,000 French people are on Pegasus’ target list. Among them are journalists from Le Monde, Le Figaro, Mediapart and du Canard enchaîné.

“I would like to remind you that our intelligence techniques in France are obviously authorized by law, that they respect individual freedoms and in particular freedom of the press,” said Gabriel Attal.

The Moroccan embassy in France reportedly dismissed the allegations when contacted by the broadcaster.

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