The DGSI would have its own Pegasus to spy on iPhones

According to information shared by the newspaperThe World, the French authorities are considering creating new software whose objective is to be able to access the content of any mobile without informing its owner. Everything would of course be controlled remotely so as not to arouse suspicion, which has been authorized by law under certain conditions since 2017.

This solution is obviously reminiscent of that of Pegasus, another spyware designed this time by the Israeli company NSO Group and which caused a scandal when public opinion learned that governments were its main buyers. Apple has since deployed a patch for iOS to combat these hacks, but since these are based on zero-day flaws discovered through extensive research, it is likely that it is only a question of 'a sword in the water. In the same vein, we can also citethe tool from GrayShift, an American company this time.

NSO Group rejected

If the DGSI (general directorate of internal security) chose to embark on this project, it is above all becausea possible contract intended to acquire Pegasus would not in fact have been finalized in advance. This is also information from theMondewhich the officials obviously did not confirm verbally. Which is understandable, because questions about the human rights violations that may result from this have far from dried up since confidentiality scandals make the headlines every week.

The amount of these negotiations is also unknown, but we know that this is not the only barrier to entry for a client. It is rumored that Benny Gantz's defense ministry must give its approval before each delivery. Among the states that would have benefited from it,an investigation ofForbidden Storiescited Morocco, Bahrain and Hungary, among others.

What risks for the opposition?

In the event that it has not already been finished for a long time or is simply being updated, the DGSI spyware could prove to be more than harmful for democracy. Indeed, under the guise of combating terrorism, leaders could then use it to target social rights demonstrators, who have been growing in number in recent years, or even environmental activists (ZAD, Greenpeace, hunting).

Edwy Plenel (Mediapart) had also been listed among the victims of Pegasus previously, his iPhone having been infected. Of course, other media such asChained Duckare also likely to find themselves closely scrutinized.