BANGKOK: Dozens of Thai democracy active supporters and workers were targeted by the controversial Israeli spyware and adware known as Pegasus during the height of extreme anti-government protests, according to an international digital rights group report.
Massive demonstrations swallowed up Thailand’s capital Bangkok two years ago as thousands called for higher civil freedoms, as well as a loosening of the rigorous lese-majeste laws that will prevent any criticism of the monarchy.
The report simply by Canadian cybersecurity watchdog Citizen Lab together with Thai groups iLaw and DigitalReach, recognized some 30 activists, academics, lawyers and NGO workers – mostly connected to civil rights organisations – whose mobile devices had been affected.
“The infections occurred from October 2020 to November 2021, coinciding with a period of common pro-democracy protests, and predominantly targeted important figures in the pro-democracy movement, ” the report stated.
Pegasus software, developed by Israeli firm NSO Group, can extract data and power up cameras or microphones once it has effectively infiltrated a cellular device.
The particular report stops lacking saying definitively who had been behind the use of the spyware, though it notes that NSO Group says these people only sell the technology to governments.
In its own executive summary of the findings the Thai NGO iLaw mentioned: “It can be circumstantially concluded that the use of Pegasus against dissidents will be of significant advantage to the Thai federal government. ”
Among those targeted, Citizen Laboratory said, were the lese majeste lawyer Arnon Nampa, demonstration leader Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul and activist Jatupat Boonpattararaksa.
Panusaya is currently on bail and facing 10 royal defamation fees, while Jatupat was denied bail recording after also getting charged with disparaging the monarchy.
Those affected had been tipped off in November 2021 whenever Apple sent out a notification informing all of them their devices had been targeted by state-backed attacks.
Amnesty International, following a completely independent investigation, condemned the hacking.
“These new revelations are a shocking example of just how low authorities might stoop to control relaxing dissent, ” mentioned technologist Etienne Maynier.
“It will be worth remembering that this is just what has been found so far, and the scale of surveillance efforts could be bigger and much more damaging. ”
It is the latest such case of the Israeli software being used in order to surveil dissidents.
The NSO Group is currently being sued in the US by Apple company, which alleges the particular firm’s spyware was used to infiltrate several iPhones worldwide. – AFP