Germany admits to having bought Pegasus

It’s official: the German police have confirmed to be a client – since at least 2019 – of the NSO Group, the company behind the controversial Pegasus software. It has been known for several years now to be the favorite gadget of authorities in many countries, capable of interfering with the content of any smartphone. iOS and Android included.

The precise motivations of the police were not specified, nevertheless the functionalities of the program would have been limited in order to prevent potential abuses. It’s hard to know what is really behind these statements, but according to the newspaper The time lawyers looked into the matter before the transaction took place. Their hesitation was not enough.

Reactions

Konstantin von Notz, environmentalist deputy, reacted by assuring to attend real “nightmare”For the rule of law. The politician demands a “full clarification”From the federal government, along with details of“responsibility for the purchase and use of spyware“. This seems indeed shared by both the police, the judiciary and the executive for the moment.

For his part, the president of the Association of German Journalists Frank Überall seeks to know if the media could have been affected by the activities of Pegasus. This is also a fear shared internationally, for the sake of security for sources but also to influence state decisions.

The government in the know!

If for many months the use of Pegasus remained in the order of internal secrecy, a meeting finally briefed the Home Office and federal leaders before information leaked to the press from a parliamentary source . Among the media behind this discovery, we also find the daily Southgerman newspaper and the two public audiovisual services WDR and NDR.

According to Martina Link, at the head of the criminal (BKA), the Trojan horse was primarily used in cases of terrorism and organized crime, but the names of the victims were obviously not disclosed to the ‘opportunity. We do know, however, that Germany regularly dismantles markets on the darknet, where counterfeit passports, hacked accounts and other drugs are sold.