November 10, 2023 at 09:36AM
France and Britain are advocating for increased global regulation of surveillance software following recent spyware scandals involving Pegasus and Predator. They warned against the unregulated development and use of surveillance technology, citing concerns about security, stability, and human rights. The legal availability of commercial spyware is becoming a growing risk, with both Predator and Pegasus being implicated in global spying campaigns.
Key Takeaways from the Meeting Notes:
– France and Britain are calling for greater global regulation of commercial surveillance software in light of recent spyware scandals involving Pegasus and Predator.
– The joint initiative announced by Paris and London at the Peace Forum emphasizes the need to regulate the development and use of surveillance technology to prevent malicious intent.
– Unregulated use of spyware poses issues related to cybersecurity, human rights, and the proliferation of such software.
– State actors, criminal groups, and activists have been conducting cyber attacks for years, but the availability of commercial spyware has increased the risk.
– Amnesty International recently uncovered a global spyware campaign using the EU-made software Predator, with Vietnamese agents being suspected as the perpetrators.
– Predator and the Pegasus spyware are capable of taking control of infected phones’ cameras and microphones, effectively turning them into surveillance tools.
– Predator has been sold to several governments, including Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan.
– A media consortium’s investigation in 2021 revealed that Pegasus software had been used to spy on numerous high-profile individuals worldwide, such as politicians, journalists, human rights activists, and business leaders.