Scandal! Hungarian journalists and oppositional figures attacked by a spyware
An Israeli cyberweapon was used to hack the phones of over 300 Hungarian targets, among whom were journalists and critical voices of the Orbán government.
An international investigation carried out by the editorial staff of 17 famous newspapers (Washington Post, Guardian, Le Monde etc.) came to a disturbing conclusion.
NSO Group Technologies is an Israeli technology firm whose spyware named Pegasus enables the remote surveillance of smartphones. The program uses the own flaws of the system, of which not even the developers and producers are aware. Through these little holes, it enters the phone and makes it possible to listen to the user’s conversations, read his emails, or see his pictures.
Pegasus is such a serious cyberweapon that the company needs the approval of the Ministry of Defence of Israel to sell it to other countries.
Officially, it can only be used against people accused of terrorism or organised crime. However, the investigative journalists of Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International acquired a list containing over 50,000 phone numbers from 50 countries. It belongs to the business partners of NSO and
based on the international investigation, these phone numbers are all possible subjects to spying.
Being on the list does not necessarily mean that Pegasus was activated against someone. Nevertheless, in many cases, the thorough examination of the devices showed an actual breach of privacy.
There are over 300 Hungarian names on the list,
among whom telex.hu has identified some. There are journalists, a photographer who worked with an American journalist, several businessmen who criticised the Orbán regime, and an international student of CEU university who was detained after a demonstration held against the government in 2018.
Reporters Without Borders: PM Orbán among “press freedom predators”
Although based on the information acquired by the international investigation team, it is not known who used the spyware,
several details suggest that the Hungarian authorities made use of the program against the Hungarian targets.
The firm statement of NSO strengthens this suspicion: they only sell their services to governments and governmental organisations. Moreover, information suggests that the software appeared in Hungary after some high-level governmental meetings between the country and Israel in 2017 and 2018. A former officer of the Hungarian Secret Services also told Direkt36 that the authorities started to use the program to strengthen the Hungarian-Israeli relations.
According to the investigation, the authorities both use the program as intended and abuse it in many countries.
Zoltán Varga, a Hungarian billionaire, the owner of Centrál Médiacsoport (one of the most prominent Hungarian media groups), for instance, is sure that he has been monitored for years. He remembers interrupted phone calls, cars in front of his house with two men sitting in it for hours, or weird people seated at a table next to him in a café while having a business meeting. Moreover, in 2018, two months after Fidesz won the elections for the second time, he held a dinner with six friends in his garden. Two of those seven people present that evening were provenly attacked by Pegasus.
When it comes to acquiring information secretly, Hungarian rules are rather loose.
The authorities and especially services for national security are allowed to monitor practically anyone on a wide scale and with little outer supervision.
Thus, even with Pegasus, which is technically a cyber weapon.
6 Comments
Orbanistan…
Famous newspapers???? You forgot the New York times – all push fake news. The NSA has got the most watched cable host – text and emails and planned to give it these media companies like they did with many leaks from the CIA and the FBI. Major source for thes famous newspapers are the highest levels of government in the US- much they new was lies.
All of it credited as anonymous source. Like Russia BS that went on for over 3 years and never retracted- most people think it was true. Then you have the Ukraine story along with the hunter Biden laptop- all these famous newspapers pushed fake news. The large billion dollar media corperation s and there lies are destroying the country. Imagine almost a year of violent riots in many major cities- 30 dead – 1000 cops injured – many business looted and destroyed all over some thug that resisted arrest – that happens on a daily basis. Most major media call it a peaceful protest- anyone caught have not been charged- vs a 3 hour riot at the capital and they insist it was worse than 9/11 and have arrested 500 people- 50 have been held for 6 months and some solitary confinement – non of them were armed and many allowed in by capital police. They insist it was inserection. All that the demanded was a investigation of the election that has 100s of people under oath destifying of what the saw. Compare this to the trump investigation that lasted 3 yrs and over40 million and no one testified under oath to what witnessed – it was a set up.
Anyone who reads these famous media companies no little about what happen and how corrupt it was.
Now you have the big tech companies in conjunction that will destroy the country. Any one of these organization make a small country look like a flea – just like your non stop LGBS pushed by the left and powerful NGOs including your own Soros who was the major funding BLM.
He he , where are the Fidesz defenders ?
Maria, NotMario , Norbert , nothing about how this is good for Hungary.
Well, this is the tip of the iceberg.
I guess the spying was done to fight against Brussels some how, its their fault and Soros.
Its time to wake up, we are dancing with the devil.
Funny, when the communist (Todays socialist) ruled Hungary they spied on everyone. I guess they failed to mention that. All politics are dirty and all politicians have dirty hands from ALL political parties worldwide. Is it wrong when they have all done it at some point? Yes…its wrong but get used to it.. you are not going to stop it.
Already proven to be fake news.
Y IS THE WORLD SURPRISED ? THE JOB OF THE STATE ,IS TO MANIPULATE AND NAVIGATE THE MINDS OF ITS POPULATION.THIS REQUIRES DATA – WHICH COMES FROM PEGASUS ! ANALYTICS OF THAT DATA = INFORMATION.
THIS LEADS TO MIND CONTROL AND NAVIGATION STRATEGIES,BEING CONCEIVED AND EXECUTED BY THE STATE,USING TECHNOLOGICAL AND OTHER TOOLS !
THE WOELD WAS WARNED PERIODICALL Y BY THE LIKES OF SNOWEN AND ASSANGE – BUT THEY IGNORED IT
People of this world are in deep slumber !
Y is online gambling not banned ?
Y is online porn not banned ?
Y is online gaming for kids not banned ?
What is the purpose of the 1000s of Apps , developed only for the handphone market ?
Y are all search engines free ?
Y is all Social Media free ?
It is simple no brainer ! It is to SPY on people ! Even a TV set with or w/o a Dish, is used to video record and audio record.This is a open secret for decades ! Advertisements are a revenue model,for the private entities of the above,but each of the platforms as above,can be taken over ANY TIME, by PEGASUS and many other softwares.
WHEN THE ABOVE PROPOSITIONS WERE DEVELOPED 10-50 BEFORE , THEY WERE STRUCTURED TO BE SPIED UPON !
Once Pegasus is on 1 smart phone, with 1 App,then like the COVID virus,it will jump to all the persons called by that person,with a smart phone, and who has the same, or any other app.
SOLUTION – Use simple Nokia 2100 , and if required,remove the SIM when not in use.dindooohindoo.
In Cuckoo nations like India – the Pegasus scam is enough to topple the government