Civil liberties

Report: UN Official, Others in Armenia Hacked by Pegasus Spyware

MAY 25 2023·Updated MAY 26 2023

Story

Image credit: Unsplash

The Facts

A group of researchers on Thursday published a report alleging that 12 individuals in Armenia, including journalists, human rights activists, and at least one UN official, were hacked by cyber-intelligence firm NSO Group's spyware Pegasus between October 2020 and December 2022.
Access Now
While the researchers didn't tie the hacking to a specific government or entity, they reportedly found some circumstantial evidence linking it to the long-running military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region.
guardian
In addition to the UN official, other individuals allegedly targeted include then-Armenian official ombudsman Kristinne Grigoryan, two Radio Free Europe journalists, and a former foreign ministry spokesperson, among others.
Bloomberg.com
Israeli-made Pegasus is known for its ability to remotely control and monitor iPhones and Androids. NSO Group has previously prompted international outcry after its spyware was allegedly used on journalists, politicians, lawyers, and NGO workers in countries including Mexico, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
Forbes
The investigation was led by Access Now, Citizen Lab, Amnesty Internationalʼs Security Lab, and independent Armenian mobile-security researcher Ruben Muradyan, with researchers saying this would be the first documented instance of the spyware being used during a military conflict.
Politico
Neither the NSO Group nor the Armenian or Azerbaijani governments have commented on the alleged hacks. However, an NSO spokesperson said the firm investigates any "improper use[s]" of its technologies and has broken off multiple contracts in the past.
Politico

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

The NSO Group refuses to engage with or acknowledge the overwhelming forensic evidence tying Pegasus spyware to many cases of human rights abuses and oppressive regimes. This usage of spyware shows the risk of the technology being used to fuel geopolitical conflicts — this should alarm everyone.

guardian

Narrative B

NSO follows all industry policies, religiously investigating credible allegations of misuse of its technologies and terminating when appropriate. The problem of abuse of surveillance technologies doesn't lie with the company, but rather the fact that there needs to be a global regulatory cyber intelligence framework to address the responsibility of governmental operators.