UN says MBS may have used Israeli spyware to hack Bezos’ phone
UN (QNN)- Two UN special rapporteurs revealed on Wednesday that an examination of Jeff Bezos’ mobile phone concluded that Saudi use of Israeli spyware firm NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware was the “most likely explanation” for the 2018 hacking attack against Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos.
UN human rights experts Agnes Callamard and David Kaye called in a press statement for an “immediate investigation by US and other relevant authorities” into Saudi Arabia’s alleged surveillance. They said the allegations underscore the “pressing need for a moratorium on the global sale and transfer of private surveillance technology.”
On the other hand, the NSO Group said it was “shocked and appalled by the story” and denied that its technology was used to hack Bezos’ phone.
“Just as we stated when these stories first surfaced months ago, we can say unequivocally that our technology was not used in this instance,” the company claimed.
A previous analysis of Bezos’ phone had concluded with a “medium to high confidence” that he was hacked after receiving a video from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s WhatsApp account. Riyadh has been sharply critical of The Washington Post’s coverage of the kingdom, including columns by murdered dissident Jamal Khashoggi.
