30 November 2024
“This is an industry that should not exist” said Edward Snowden in 2021, referring to NSO Group infamous Pegasus and its competitors. It is evident that digital surveillance through spyware is one of the major threats to privacy and users worldwide.
Whether it involves spyware developed by criminals for extortion, advanced tools created by well-established European companies and authorized by major democratic governments (and non-democratic ones), or low-cost, amateur software designed to spy on children or partners, all these technologies ultimately generate violence.
It is precisely the latter type of spyware that Irpi, Italy’s leading investigative journalism organization, has focused on in a series of articles. These articles analyze leaks from SpyHide and PC Tattletale, while contacting users and victims to verify and delve deeper into their stories.
Osservatorio Nessuno provided technical support and contributed to the analysis of SpyHide’s data. Thanks to Irpi’s investigative work, this led to the publication of a series of articles: spiarelowcost (translated, lowcostspying) which we strongly recommend everyone to read.
Preventing and countering gender-based violence is a responsibility we all share—always. Software like SpyHide, which enables and encourages such violence, simply should not exist.
Read the articles in the spiarelowcost investigations:
For further insights, our friends and colleagues at stakkastakka interviewed the article’s main author. The podcast is available here (in Italian).
Are you a journalist or an organization in need of a partner for analysis or a technical opinion on an investigation? Contact us at info@osservatorionessuno.org.
If you require a secure communication channel, reach out to us on Signal clicking here or opening this link on your mobile device.
If you would like to submit anonymous information to Irpi for further analysis, consider using IrpiLeaks using the Tor Browser.