NSO Group—Whistleblower investigation revealed Morocco's DGST used NSO Pegasus spyware since 2017 against journalists and officials, financed via UAE intermediary
A cross-border investigation by Forbidden Stories, the Guardian and Middle East Eye, based on a decade-long DGST insider (pseudonym 'Safir') corroborated by security sources in Morocco and Europe, detailed how Morocco's intelligence agency DGST acquired and used NSO Group's Pegasus spyware from 2017 onward against domestic political opponents, journalists and foreign officials, including French President Emmanuel Macron and 15 French government members. The investigation described a three-party arrangement in which a UAE-linked company (Al Fahad Smart Systems, later acquired by UAE state-owned defense group Edge) acted as financial intermediary or payer for Morocco's access to Pegasus. Morocco has consistently denied purchasing Pegasus despite the documentary and testimonial evidence; NSO Group declined to confirm Morocco as a customer, citing Israeli law.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authoritarian Compliance | +toward | primary | -1.00 |
| Digital Safety for Vulnerable Users | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Surveillance Technology | +toward | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.805 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.64)
Evidence (2 signals)
Guardian: Moroccan intelligence insider reveals widespread use of Pegasus spyware since 2017
The Guardian, part of the Forbidden Stories consortium, published testimony from a decade-long DGST insider corroborated by security sources in Morocco and Europe detailing Morocco's acquisition and use of Pegasus spyware against dissidents, journalists and foreign officials.
Forbidden Stories: 'Codename Morgan' details Morocco's Pegasus acquisition via Israel and UAE
Forbidden Stories' investigation traced the three-party arrangement between NSO Group, Moroccan agency DGST, and a UAE-linked intermediary (Al Fahad Smart Systems, later part of state-owned Edge) financing or facilitating Morocco's Pegasus access since 2017, including targeting of French President Macron and 15 French officials.