Morocco said Monday it “categorically rejects” claims its intelligence services had used Israeli spyware Pegasus to monitor critics at home and abroad, a government statement read. Rabat said it had “never acquired computer software to infiltrate communication devices” and denied it had “infiltrated the phones of several national and international public figures and heads of international organisations through computer software”.
A joint investigation by several Western media outlets said Sunday that numerous activists, journalists, executives and politicians around the world had been spied on using the software developed by Israeli firm NSO. The media outlets, including The Washington Post, The Guardian and Le Monde, drew links between NSO Group and a list of tens of thousands of smartphone numbers, including those of activists, journalists, business executives and politicians around the world. Many numbers on the list were clustered in 10 countries, including Morocco.
Rabat expressed its “great astonishment” at the reports. These are “false allegations devoid of any foundation,” the statement read. “Morocco… guarantees the secrecy of personal communications …to all citizens and foreign residents in Morocco”, it added.
Pegasus is a highly invasive tool that can switch on a target’s phone camera and microphone, as well as access data on the device, effectively turning a phone into a pocket spy. In some cases, it can be installed without the need to trick a user into initiating a download. NSO has denied any wrongdoing.
