UK Prime Minister, Catalan groups 'targeted by NSO Pegasus spyware' Citizen Lab has reported finding suspected surveillance software on devices associated with both the UK Prime Minister's Office and what was formerly called the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Canadian research outfit also said it had identified at least 65 individuals linked with Catalan civil society groups in …
Is it not the case that Boris has been noted in the past to stray from using official devices to conduct government business? The chances are higher that his personal device being pawned and less likely to be detected as such than a government issue one, especially one given to someone in his position.
1. Get some therapy!
2. It was Kankles who operated a completely un-secure mail server in here bathroom outside of government control to sell State Department influence.
But we know, corruption on the Left is just "doing what's right for the people!"
If the Spanish government uses illegal means to spy on political opponents, then it's a threat to democracy. The government must stand accused and go to trial.
I hope this story will be a warning to people in charge: don't trust your mobile devices, even if some pretend they are safe. iPhones are not, even if Apple says the opposite. Android phones aren't either, but everybody knows it.
I'll tell you how the 'legal requirements' were fulfilled in Poland, identical case of pegasus spying against the opposition party and some incovenient journalists (see a pattern there? well, nothing new other the sun). Before the 3-letter agencies in Poland were allowed to spy on their own folk (that spying included pegasus, which Polish government denied-undenied-never-unfonfirmed-etc, even when invoices surfaced), they had to apply for court approval, very noble indeed! After some investigation, it 'appears' the courts issueed such approval in a 'blank check' fashion (something around 99.9% approval rate). Surprisingly, there was quite a range of reason for judges rubber-stamping, all depressing: because they had always done so. Because they didn't understand the technology. Because they didn't understand the implications of technology. Because they didn't have time to question the motives behind application to spy Because they were 'advised' not to question the motives. Because there was / is no oversight to control them (who watches the watchers) so they just could whatever the f... they wanted (they're 'independent', right?). Because they were given the job by the party that happens to have a parliamentary majority, thus governs the land, thus appoints some judges, while dismissing others (take a guess, which ones are appointed and which ones are dismissed). Not that I would _expect_ the opposition party/gov to act differently, only more... discreetly (speaking from prior observation).
If all the above screams 'travesty', well, shrug, there you are. I presume it's pretty much identical in Spain, the motive, the 'modus operandi' and why judicial oversight failed.
oh, by the way, fortunately for that skeleton and that Polish cupboard, in the meantime, there was this outbreak of WAR! IN! UKRAINE! which was 'political gold' for Polish goverment (their own quote, leaked email) and the scandal of pegasus spying in Poland melted away. Presumably, the skeleton will re-enter the scene as it gets nearer their election time. WTF is wrong with this world?! It seems, everything...
btw, so those wars are great, and not only for those evil arm dealers who sell those evil 7.62s by containers, etc. There are many governments that applaud. I seem to remember someone said 'good day to bury the news'. That was, it seems, like 20 years ago. And yet, a good war to bury bad news works great, and I'm not looking at Poland or Hungary, I'm looking at Boris.
"If the xxx government uses illegal means to spy on political opponents, then it's a threat to democracy."
This has been going on since time immemorial. The first spy to be executed for treason probably predates written record.
You imagine that going online is going to change that?
As I tell all my offspring, nephews and nieces, there is only one golden rule; "Don't get caught!"
The amount and intensity of persecution against Catalan and Basque independentists is unbelievable, as is the systemic discrimination to which they are subject.
I've had the great misfortune of living in Spain (Catalonia) for a few years and seen this with my own eyes. The worst part is the victim mentality of most Catalans. "He only hits me when I deserve it" is the attitude of many of them. :(
Spain is in many ways a country stuck in the Middle Ages.
A few ordinary Catalans ended up in Scotland after their home made independence referendum was penalised with draconian sentences. Then Spain went after the exiles in Scottish and English courts, only to be repulsed by British judiciary. So of course the Spanish resorted to spyware, the final bastion of feeble fascism - not political hyperbole, they truly still have sieg heiling parades.
I would like to again thank the English for their decent attitude to the Scottish independence referendum. I mean, you cheated and lied all the way through it but you didn't try to arrest us or send military police on our streets.
That was very good of you, and we'd like another referendum now, please.
"Losers always moan."
I'll take your word for it since you are the Voice of Truth!
My first post was totally serious and not sarcastic at all.
I'll also add I am very grateful for the English language, surely the best language, and your wonderful dictionary. There are words in there that may enrich you, such as:
magnanimous adjective
/mæɡˈnænəməs/
(formal)
kind, generous, and forgiving, especially toward an enemy or a rival a magnanimous gesture
He was magnanimous in defeat and praised his opponent's skill.
it is different, spanish regions do not have powers to invoque a referendum. it has been ruled inconstitutional, the regional gob went ahead with the referendum against the splicit orders of the judiciary. they thus missued funds and institutions for an illegal purpose: trying to subvert the institutions. you forget that they were pardoned later by the leftist gob that now rules in coalition with the comunists and independentists.
If this spyware was from a Chinese company, it would be labelled 'Chinese spyware'. If this spyware was from North Korea, it would be labelled 'North Korean spyware'. This NSO spyware should be labelled what it is - Israeli spyware. There is no way that NSO would be allowed to operate as it does without official support from the Israeli government and Mossad in particular.
NSO's already tried to claim sovereign immunity as being part of the Israeli State. And I'd be curious how much of NSO's customers take ends up with Mossad. But such is the great game. Or diplomacy. I guess the UK could express it's displeasure by expelling a few diplomats, but we need UAE's gas.
I think you are mistaken, NSO claims sovereign immunity because it only sells the wares to states which then use it.
What puzzles me is how NSO can claim that all the people Citizens Lab claims are targeted are not, while at the same time insisting they are not involved in the operation of the spyware.
Knowing how startups work, my guess is that what happens is this:
The end user GUI is simply a shell that relies the licencee's commands to some bloke sitting in an office in Jaffa who does the actual hacking in a half-script assisted, half manual way.
It is pure speculation on my part, I must emphasise, but that's how I would do it for cost effectiveness.
"Governments around the globe have not done enough to investigate or stop human rights violations caused by invasive spyware like Pegasus"
Obviously. Governments around the world are using said spyware.
That is the one point where they're not going to shoot themselves in the foot.
Paradoxically, in the Spanish mindset, Catalans *are* both foreigners and terrorists.
Foreigners because "they're not like us" and because in practice they don't enjoy the same rights as other Spaniards.
Terrorists because they have been accused, and sentenced, as such. Google Valtònyc (an exilé in Belgium) and Pablo Hasel for two particularly preposterous examples.
after all the biz behind the soft already publicly stated they're innocent, did nothing wrong, everything was legit, and it only sold it to approved governments and other autorized parties. And British gov hasn't claimed otherwise (until now), so all's great!
Someone at GCHQ needs to answer questions, under oath.
Someone at MI5/6 needs to answer similar questions, possibly with their final salary pension taking a 'haircut' if found to be wanting.
Why wasn't his personal hardware frequently audited?
This is a failure of him, his own staff and the security services.
It's quite possible that the security services weren't allowed anywhere near his phone, particularly if it was his personal one (even though he was probably using that when he should have been using the official one).
If in the (surely unlikely) event that he was using his phone for purposes he shouldn't have been - organising piss-ups perhaps? - then he wouldn't want any servants of the state getting their hands on the proof.
I don't know if it's the case in the UK, but in Australia politicians don't get vetted and/or cleared. Yes ok, state-supplied equipment should be secured when handed to them, but keeping it clean thereafter would be a struggle.
".............but in Australia politicians don't get vetted and/or cleared."
Would be a wate of time and money - they are all criminals anyway and in the some cases are often proud that they can trace their lineage back to criminals of days gone by.
Remember Australia was where the UK transported it's undesirable to - much the same as Priti Patel is doing with the UK current undesirables but using Rwanda.
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