NSO Group—Pegasus Project investigation revealed 50,000+ phone numbers selected for potential surveillance by NSO clients in 50+ countries
In July 2021, a consortium of 17 media organizations led by Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International published the Pegasus Project, revealing a leaked list of 50,000+ phone numbers believed to have been identified as persons of interest by NSO Group clients since 2016. Targets included at least 189 journalists, 85 human rights activists, 65 business executives, and 600+ politicians and government officials across more than 50 countries. NSO clients were identified in 11 countries including Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Togo, and the UAE.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authoritarian Compliance | +toward | primary | -1.00 |
| Digital Safety for Vulnerable Users | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Press Freedom | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Surveillance Technology | +toward | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -1.190 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (critical ×2) × confidence (0.68)
Evidence (2 signals)
Amnesty International and Forbidden Stories published Pegasus Project exposing mass surveillance by NSO clients
Amnesty International and Paris-based Forbidden Stories led a consortium of 17 media organizations that published the Pegasus Project investigation in July 2021, based on a leaked list of 50,000+ phone numbers believed selected for surveillance by NSO clients.
Amnesty Security Lab forensic analysis confirmed Pegasus infections on targeted phones
Amnesty International's Security Lab performed forensic analysis confirming Pegasus spyware infections on phones of targeted individuals, providing technical verification of the leaked data. The methodology was peer-reviewed by Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto.