European Union data protection watchdog called on Tuesday for a ban on the controversial Pegasus spyware tool, developed by Israel-based NSO Group.
The European Supervisor of protection data (EDPS) said use of pegasus could lead at an “unprecedented level of intrusive, able to interfere with the most intimate aspects of our daily lives.”
Israel fell under global pressure over allegations that Pegasus was abused by some foreign client governments to spy on human rights activists, journalists and politicians.
NSO said he couldn’t confirm or refuse any existing or potential customer for Pegasus. He said he does not exploit the system once sold to its government customers and it is not involved in any way in the systemthe operation.
“A ban on the development and deployment of Spyware with the capacity of Pegasus in the EU would be the most effective option to protect our fundamental rights and freedoms,” said the EDPS.
“In the center of debate on tools like Pegasus should not only be the use of technologybut the importance we place on the right to privacy.”
A published survey last year by 17 media organizations, supported by the Paris Journalism Association group Forbidden Stories, said the spyware was used in attempted and successful hacks of smartphones belonging to journalists, government civil servants and human rights activists on a global ladder.
