Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al-Qassam Brigades: We will hand over the body of one of the occupation prisoners that was exhumed today in the Gaza Strip at 9 pm Gaza time.
Al Mayadeen correspondent to southern Lebanon: One martyr and one wounded in the initial toll of an Israeli drone strike targeting the town of Al-Bayyad.
Local sources report that a car bomb explosion has targeted the General Security headquarters near the Baniyas Court in the Tartous countryside, western Syria
Israeli artillery strikes target Khan Younis, the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian media: IOF arrest leader Jamal al-Tawil, who was liberated as part of the prisoner exchange, from his home in al-Bireh.
Palestinian media: 'Israel' launches two airstrikes on eastern Khan Younis, Gaza.
Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in Gaza: Israeli occupation forces carry out demolitions in eastern Gaza City.
Venezuelan Foreign Ministry: The National Armed Forces will remain on alert and mobilized in the face of this extremely dangerous provocation.
Venezuelan Foreign Ministry: This is not a defense exercise, but rather a military aggression aimed at turning the Caribbean into a space for violence and US hegemony.
Venezuelan Foreign Ministry: The government of Trinidad and Tobago has surrendered the country's sovereignty to act as a military colony serving US interests.

Mexico investigates legality of Israeli NSO Group spyware purchases

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 18 Oct 2022 10:11
  • 1 Shares
3 Min Read

The Mexican attorney general's office says judicial authorities had acquired information that NSO was illegally selling Pegasus, without providing further details.

  • x
  • The NSO Group company logo. Source: MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES.
    The NSO Group company logo (Getty Images)

On Sunday, the Mexican attorney general's office revealed that it is investigating the previous administration's purchase of Pegasus computer spyware and if it was done correctly.

The office issued a statement referring to ongoing investigations into the use of Pegasus spyware by two people, including a prominent ex-official, just days after the current administration denied eavesdropping on journalists or critics.

Pegasus is owned and run by the Israeli spyware company NSO group, which only sells malware to governments or law enforcement agencies. 

According to the statement, Mexican prosecutors are considering purchasing Pegasus from the previous attorney general's office for 457 million pesos ($23 million). They were attempting to determine whether it had been done with proper justification and in accordance with the required public tender procedures.

In the second investigation, the office stated that judicial authorities had acquired information that NSO was "illegally selling" Pegasus, but provided no further specifics.

NSO told Reuters earlier this month that it licenses Pegasus only to law enforcement and intelligence organizations of sovereign states and government agencies with Israeli government authorization, claiming that contracts are terminated when misconduct is discovered.

It claimed it that does not operate Pegasus, has no visibility on its usage, and does not collect information about customers.

Related News

US cargo plane lands in Syria base as IOF escalate Quneitra breaches

Al-Quds Brigades target Israeli vehicle route in Jabaa town

The admission came nearly two weeks after President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador denied his personnel spied on journalists or opponents following a watchdog report claiming at least three people probing human rights violations in Mexico had Pegasus on their phones.

Lopez Obrador was elected in 2018 after promising during his campaign that the government would stop eavesdropping on its citizens.

What is Pegasus? How does it function?

As spyware, Pegasus, which has the capability to infect billions of phones running either iOS or Android operating systems, silently infiltrates your phone, takes hold of your data, and turns your device into a 24/7 surveillance unit.

It can copy all your messages, harvest your photos, and record your calls. It might even infiltrate your camera and microphone and secretly film you and eavesdrop on your conversations. It can also potentially pinpoint your location, anytime, anywhere.

For governments and spying agencies, the software is quite the dream come true, but for dissidents, journalists, and the general populace, Pegasus is a nightmare. 

The mastermind behind this hacking software is none other than the Israeli firm NSO Group.

Mexico, Pegasus, and human rights activists

Two journalists and a human rights activist's phones were examined by researchers at Citizen Lab, a digital watchdog group at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. They discovered that the smartphones had been infected with Pegasus in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

The three victims documented human rights violations allegedly committed by the Mexican armed forces and disclosed their findings in a report published by the Mexican group for digital rights advocacy known as R3D.

Requests for a response from the Defense Ministry and Lopez Obrador's team were not immediately fulfilled.

  • Israel
  • Mexico
  • NSO Group
  • Pegasus

Most Read

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

  • Technology
  • 24 Oct 2025
Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025
Abu Hamza, the spokesperson for the Al-Quds Brigades, during a speech televised on October 22, 2025 (Al-Quds Brigades Military Media)

Al-Quds Brigades' Abu Hamza mourns leaders, vows continued resistance

  • Politics
  • 22 Oct 2025
US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

  • Africa
  • 23 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Delta Air Lines flight lands at Harry Reid International Airport, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Las Vegas (AP)
Politics

Nearly 3,800 US flights disrupted amid ongoing government shutdown

FILE - The Amazon logo is pictured at the Amazon Robotic Sorting Fulfillment Center in Madison County, Miss., Aug. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
Economy

Amazon to cut 30,000 jobs in largest layoff in company history

Eurofighter Typhoon Spain's Air Force fighter jets fly above the military parade marking 'Día de la Hispanidad', or Hispanic Day, in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP)
Politics

UK sells 20 Eurofighter jets to Türkiye in £8bn defense agreement

Smoke billows after drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted the northern port in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, Sudan, May 6, 2025 (AP)
Politics

RSF tightens El Fasher siege as Sudan risks fragmentation: Reuters

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS