Tag Archives: Espionage

25Oct/26

Where Foreign Influence Becomes Illegal

October 25, 2026PoliticsBenjamin Netanyahu, Buckley, Computer security, Cyberwarfare, David Friedman, Donald Trump, Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service, Espionage, Israel, Jared Kushner, Mass surveillance, Matthew Cole, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National security, National Security Agency, Prevention, Robert Mueller, Ron Wyden, Rostov, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Security, the bank of israel, Trump family, U.S.C., United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Statesadmin

Allegations, Cyber Surveillance, and Denials: The Conflict Over Jared Kushner’s Middle East Financial Dealings

Sat Oct. 24, 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — An excerpt published by Vanity Fair from journalist Matthew Cole’s book Princes and Thieves alleges that former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner had access to undisclosed foreign bank accounts holding up to $2 billion supplied by Gulf leaders during Donald Trump’s first presidential administration. According to these claims, Dutch military intelligence (MIVD) intercepted Kushner’s personal smartphone activity starting in 2018 after discovering device screenshots stored on a Russian military intelligence (GRU) server in Rostov. Spies reportedly observed Kushner accessing Account Alpha at First Abu Dhabi Bank—which contained roughly $750 million under the cover of an Emirati charitable foundation with funds routed via Azerbaijani banks—as well as Account Beta, an estimated $1 billion repository at the Bank of Israel reportedly subject to transaction oversight by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Continue reading →

27Oct/22

Pegasus: invasive spyware or national security?

October 27, 2022Securityamnesty international, Andrés Manuel Obrador, Apple, Augustín Basave Alanís, Bangkok, Basave, Bill Marczak, Citizen Lab, Computer and network surveillance, David Kaye, Donncha, Espionage, Fred Guterl, India, Indonesia, Mexico, NSO Group, Pegasus, Prague, Ronan Farrow, Samuel Woodhams, Samuel Woodhams Digital, Shalev Hulio, Spain, Spyware, Thailand, Thomson Reuters Foundation, United Statesadmin

By Samuel Woodhams | Digital rights researcher and journalist

I’m Samuel Woodhams, a digital rights researcher and journalist based in London.

The saga of the NSO Group’s invasive Pegasus spyware continues, with yet another victim confirmed this month by the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab and digital rights group, R3D. The organisations said Mexican opposition politician Augustín Basave Alanís was targeted in September 2021, making him the fourth person allegedly hacked during Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidency. Continue reading →

17Oct/22

Surveillance tech is weaponry

October 17, 2022SecurityAndrés Manuel López Obrador, Antonio Guterres, China, El Salvador, Espionage, Geneva, Guterres, Hungary, Jordan, Mexico, NSO Group, Obrador, Pegasus, Poland, Prevention, Privacy, Rand Hammoud, Security, Spyware, Surveillance, Thailand, Thomson Reuters Foundationadmin

By Rand Hammoud, Surveillance Campaigner, Access Now

Surveillance technology is weaponry – it targets, tracks, invades, and decimates – and its unbridled use is a far-reaching, destructive violation of human rights. It is an assault rifle in the sustained global offensive on civic space, and we need a global moratorium on its export, sale, transfer, servicing, and use. Continue reading →