French prosecutor opens probe into Pegasus spyware allegations

Investigation follows complaint by French news website Mediapart over alleged use of spyware by Moroccan secret services.

The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into allegations that Moroccan intelligence services spied on several French journalists using the Pegasus software at the heart of a global scandal. The probe announced on Tuesday will examine 10 different charges, including whether there was a breach of personal privacy, fraudulent access to personal electronic devices and criminal association. It was launched after an investigation published on Sunday by 17 media organisations, led by the Paris-based non-profit journalism group Forbidden Stories, said the Pegasus spyware made and licensed by the Israeli company, NSO, had been used in attempted and successful hacks of 37 smartphones belonging to journalists, government officials and human rights activists.