Activists in Thailand to sue government over alleged use of Pegasus spyware

Thailand activists are reportedly suing the government over its alleged use of Pegasus spyware to monitor dissidents.

The case is the first of its kind in the country, with activists saying they hope it will raise awareness and help protect citizens.

The activists say the government is increasingly using surveillance technologies to monitor such groups.

The legal non-profit group iLaw is filing a lawsuit against the government for its alleged use of spyware that was developed by Israeli firm NSO Group.

The spyware was allegedly used to hack into the mobile phones of at least 30 activists and lawyers over the 2020-2021 years.

iLaw is also reportedly filing a separate civil lawsuit against NSO. Yingcheep Atchanont of iLaw says the case is not easy.

“It is a difficult case, as we don’t have evidence of who bought the software and who deployed it.”

Yingcheep says his phone was infected 10 times with the Pegasus spyware.

“We are also not confident in the judicial system, but it is all we have. Even if we get a verdict saying our rights were violated, that would be very significant.”

According to the Bangkok Post, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society did not respond when asked to comment on the situation. NSO also did not respond to a request for comment.

However, the company has said that its technology is intended to help catch terrorists, hardened criminals, and pedophiles.

It says it is sold to “vetted and legitimate” government clients.

Yingcheep says he received an email alert from Apple that warned him of “state-sponsored attackers” possibly targeting his and others’ mobile phones back in November 2021.

“It was so shocking to me that the government could take control of my phone – it is a bigger violation of my privacy than a policeman watching my house.”

“Even if NSO goes away, they will use another company, another technology. It’s not going to stop unless some serious action is taken.”