French president may also target espionage with Pegasus spyware

French President Emmanuel Macron’s phone may have also been targeted by the Pegasus spyware. The president’s phone number and that of several other members of the French government are said to be on a list of possible targets of NSO customers.

It was previously announced that France is investigating the use of the spy software against a number of French journalists and activists. According to Le Monde, the French president has also been a possible target. His number is said to have been discovered among more than 50,000 phone numbers targeted by the controversial Pegasus software surveillance.

Le Monde is one of seventeen news organizations jointly investigating the use of the Pegasus software to spy on journalists, human rights activists and politicians. The Israeli company’s software allows people to be eavesdropped on and tracked remotely via their smartphones. Messages can also be intercepted.

The NSO Group still denies that its software is used to spy on people who are not suspected of criminal activity or terrorism. Morocco and Hungary are cited as countries that allegedly used the software against public figures. Both countries deny the use of the software.