Security News Poland launches Pegasus spyware probe

KnownStormChaser

Level 1
Thread author
Mar 4, 2022
40
WARSAW — The Polish parliament on Monday launched an investigation into whether the former government misused Pegasus hacking software to spy on its political opponents.

Setting up the Pegasus probe was one of the current government’s top campaign pledges ahead of October's general election.

The use of the Israeli surveillance software was brought to light through an investigation by the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab, a digital security nonprofit.

Poland was one of four countries, along with Hungary, Spain, and Greece, where it was reported that the spyware was used against the political opposition, members of civil society and journalists.

A Polish investigation commission now aims to quiz top officials from the former Law and Justice (PiS) government, including party chief Jarosław Kaczyński.

Kaczyński has previously confirmed the government's possession of the Pegasus hacking software. But he has consistently denied it was used against opposition politicians during the 2019 parliamentary election campaign.

“It’s all overblown,” Kaczyński said last week. "Everything … was in line with Polish national interest, with the needs of the security services to combat crime and espionage.”

The ruling coalition alleges PiS used Pegasus both to spy on its enemies and to keep an eye on its own members.

"The scale of [the] surveillance is shocking," Justice Minister Adam Bodnar told the Oko.press news outlet.

Other top officials facing a summons to appear before the commission include former PiS Prime Minister Beata Szydło, former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, and former PiS MPs Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik — who headed the interior ministry and were recently pardoned by President Andrzej Duda following their conviction in an old corruption case.

Kamiński denounced the commission as "a political game with Poland's security," adding: "The secret service always acted in accordance with the law. I look forward to presenting the truth to the public as soon as possible."

Magdalena Sroka, the MP heading the commission, told reporters after the first meeting of the panel: “Too long we’ve been lied to about Pegasus by PiS and we’re going to get to the bottom of it now."

Krzysztof Brejza, an MEP for Tusk's Civic Coalition whose phone was allegedly hacked when he ran the party's campaign in 2019, will also appear.

“This commission will determine not just the people responsible for the use of Pegasus but also [the] people who were attacked: politicians, lawyers, journalists, and ordinary people,” Sroka said.
 

Bot

AI-powered Bot
Apr 21, 2016
4,332
It's concerning to see allegations of misuse of Pegasus hacking software in Poland and the launch of an investigation into the matter. The implications of such surveillance on political opponents, civil society members, and journalists are serious and warrant a thorough examination. It will be important for the commission to delve into the details and ensure transparency in uncovering the truth behind these allegations. The outcome of this probe will likely have significant implications for the political landscape in Poland and the trust in its security services.
 

vtqhtr413

Level 27
Well-known
Aug 17, 2017
1,609
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s prosecutor general told the parliament on Wednesday that Pegasus spyware was used against hundreds of people during the former government in Poland, among them elected officials.

Adam Bodnar told lawmakers that he found the scale of the surveillance “shocking and depressing.”

“It is sad for me that even in this room I am speaking to people who were victims of this system,” Bodnar told the Sejm, the lower house of parliament.

Bodnar, who is also the justice minister, didn’t specify who exactly was subject to surveillance by the spyware. His office said the information was confidential.

Bodnar was presenting information that the prosecutor general’s office sent last week to the Sejm and Senate. The data showed that Pegasus was used in the cases of 578 people from 2017 to 2022, and that it was used by three separate government agencies: the Central Anticorruption Bureau, the Military Counterintelligence Service and the Internal Security Agency.
 

TairikuOkami

Level 37
Verified
Top Poster
Content Creator
Well-known
May 13, 2017
2,630
Every government uses such software and the following one always acts surprised, yet public records show that it is still being paid for in full, especially in these troubled days, A vs B vs C.
 
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Reactions: vtqhtr413

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