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Using Texts as Lures, Government Spyware Targets Mexican Journalists and Their Families (nytimes.com)

Posted by msmash on from the growing-tension dept.

Mexico's most prominent human rights lawyers, journalists and anti-corruption activists have been targeted by advanced spyware sold to the Mexican government on the condition that it be used only to investigate criminals and terrorists, reports the New York Times. From the report: The targets include lawyers looking into the mass disappearance of 43 students (alternative source), a highly respected academic who helped write anti-corruption legislation, two of Mexico's most influential journalists and an American representing victims of sexual abuse by the police. The spying even swept up family members, including a teenage boy. Since 2011, at least three Mexican federal agencies have purchased about $80 million worth of spyware created by an Israeli cyberarms manufacturer. The software, known as Pegasus, infiltrates smartphones to monitor every detail of a person's cellular life -- calls, texts, email, contacts and calendars. It can even use the microphone and camera on phones for surveillance, turning a target's smartphone into a personal bug.

13 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. Critic == Terrorist by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You can gauge the quality of a government by their inclination to equate people who criticise the regime with terrorists.

    Case in point: Turkey.

    It's disappointing to see this behaviour by the Mexican state.

    1. Re:Critic == Terrorist by sycodon · · Score: 2

      But not unexpected.

      Mexico is a Third World Nation in every sense of the phrase.

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    2. Re:Critic == Terrorist by ladydi89 · · Score: 2

      I'm really surprised our president and the mexican president don't get along better.

      --
      Thou shalt not use tools thou does not understand, lest they rise up and smite thee
    3. Re:Critic == Terrorist by l0n3s0m3phr34k · · Score: 2

      I have no hate for Mexico, but technically sycodon is correct. Mexico is not a member of NATO, nor are they a member of the Warsaw Pact. Therefor, according to the original definition, they are a "third world country".

  2. Re:Mexicants by tgrigsby · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...advanced spyware sold to the Mexican government on the condition that it be used only to investigate criminals and terrorists...

    Obligatory "what could go wrong" post....

    --
    *** *** You're just jealous 'cause the voices talk to me... ***
  3. Wow, just...wow by evolutionary · · Score: 4, Interesting

    We seem to be having a world government trend with attacking reporters who expose their nations problems. The US, the UK are also attacking reporters. It's creepy who many nations are using Chinese/Russian style tactics to control the contents of reporters.The question is, when is the public going to take the governments to task for this sort or behaviour.

    --
    "Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Einstein
    1. Re:Wow, just...wow by caseih · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I agree Trump is the effect, not the cause, but the rest of your post... just wow. How is reporting on what is actually happening making up things out of whole cloth? It's definitely newsworthy that Muller may be investigating possible obstruction of justice, for example. That's not fake news. It's not being made up.

      You've made an extraordinary, blanket claim without evidence. That's just not honest. Trying to sow this kind of distrust of the media (well distrust of everything) is disingenuous and pernicious. This movement to discredit the media is extremely dangerous to democracy. Encouraging skepticism is appropriate, encouraging wholesale distrust of just about everything (other than what you say apparently), is not. It's not thinking critically.

    2. Re:Wow, just...wow by evolutionary · · Score: 4, Informative

      Ummm..there is a LOT of misinformation. Problem is a lot of people are drinking the Kool-Aid. Trump is know for the very things he accuses anyone who speaks ill against him. It's true that we have a lot of misinformation or incomplete information but if you look CAREFULLY (like Fox News who constantly has to correct their headlines and are used by intelligent comedians for material), is the media with misinformation is often corrupted/coerced/bought out by the very people who accuse the media .Trump has been shown praising Fox news. Because they are basically mouthpieces of Republican party. Their official excuse is as a "balancing force" for the pro-Democrat news media outlets. All of that is basically government propaganda no better than the mainstream in China or Russia. So using Trump as an example of media abuse is a contradiction in terms (sorry but there is proven evidence). To be clear, I don't trust EITHER party (both have been shown corrupt at high levels) and I think we need a fresh 3rd party to keep them honest. But there ARE independent journalists and they are the ones primarily attacked. I'll give a few sources for you to examine:

      https://fas.org/blogs/secrecy/
      http://theintercept.com/
      http://www.theguardian.com/
      http://independent.co.uk/

      Hopefully there will be more. Folks, please feel free to add to this list. Of course these people need donations to pay for their work. BTW, The Guardian and The Intercept worked together to expose the unconstitutional behavior of the NSA provided by Snowden. Pretty ballsy. If we want "real news" we need to find it and support it. otherwise the media companies and/or political parties will mute anything we truly need to know to have a real democracy.

      --
      "Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Einstein
  4. Welcome to the future! by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 2

    I hope this dystopia was everything you hoped it would be because it sure does suck for humans!

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  5. Re:Mexicants by green1 · · Score: 2

    The nice thing about such a condition is that it's very easy for any government to classify anyone they don't like in to one of those groups.

  6. Are these MX going on the US Denied Parties List? by redelm · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The appropriate and usual US sanction for violations of ITAR/USML/EAR regulations and conditions is listing of the offenders in the US Federal Register as "Denied Parties". This forbids any US entity/subsidiary from any dealings or "facilitation" of their transactions. Nastier than it sounds -- what it doesn't freeze outright, it costs at least 10% more to skirt.

    Wall whining or not, what do you want to bet the US DoC/DoJ does no such thing? For one thing, hypocrisy is already pegged.

  7. don't speak truth to power ? by swell · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Mexico's National Commission on Human Rights reports over 120 journalists have been killed since 2000"
    You can learn more about atrocities in Mexico at: https://www.democracynow.org/t...

    The problem seems to be that they don't honor the secret code that pervades US journalism: Don't offend those in power. Whether they be advertisers, government, powerful corporations or individuals, etc. Mexican journalists have been heroic in reporting despite the grave danger they face. We need that courage everywhere.

    --
    ...omphaloskepsis often...
  8. Get a couple of burner phones by PPH · · Score: 2

    Text some stuff that pisses of the gov't. Meeting to be held at Location X. Then text some stuff that pisses off the local cartels. Meeting to be held at Location X. Sit back with popcorn and watch the firefight.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.