Following accusations from Poland’s current Prime Minister in February 2024, the Polish government formally launched an investigation into the previous government’s use of Pegasus spyware.
Former officials involved in the use of the spyware are likely to face criminal charges, with victims potentially seeking financial compensation and involvement in the criminal proceedings.
Pegasus is a phone-based spyware that stealthily hijacks the device and provides full access to apps and files, while also turning the device into a 24/7 tracking and listening device.
Thousands of Pegasus targets
A 2021 data breach, accessible via the Guardianrevealed that thousands of telephone numbers across several countries were being accessed by the Pegasus spyware, with a number of media outlets targeted by governments in Eastern Europe, most notably Hungary’s Viktor Orbán.
Developed in 2011 by Israel’s NSO group for both iPhone and Android devices, the Pegasus software can be used to remotely monitor individuals associated with terrorist groups, although it is more commonly used to target opposition figures and spy on media.
Other notable figures believed to have been targeted through the spyware’s use include Poland’s current Prime Minister Donald Tusk and MEP Krzysztof Brejza, in addition to a longer list of high-profile politicians that remains confidential while criminal proceedings take place .
Adam Bodnar, Poland’s justice minister, said: “This list is significantly more extensive than the list already made public, and many other interesting public people.”
The Pegasus spyware was reportedly used extensively by Poland’s Law and Justice government, which was in power between 2015 and 2023, with use of the spyware declining in 2021 following widespread media coverage following the data breach.