BANGKOK — Cybersecurity researchers say that Thai activists involved in the country’s pro-democracy protests had their cell phones or other devices infected and attacked with government-sponsored spyware.
Investigators of the cybersecurity research groups Citizen Lab and iLaw found that at least 30 individuals — including activists, scholars and people working with civil society groups — were targeted for surveillance with Pegasus, a spyware produced by Israeli-based cybersecurity company NSO Group.
Those whose devices were attacked were either involved in the pro-democracy protests that took place between 2020 and 2021, or were publicly critical of the Thai monarchy. The two groups said lawyers who defended the activists also were under such digital surveillance.
The Pegasus spyware is known for “zero-click exploits” which means it can be installed remotely onto a…
