London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 03, 2025

El Salvador journalists and activists hacked with spyware, report says

El Salvador journalists and activists hacked with spyware, report says

Dozens of journalists and activists in El Salvador have had their phones hacked with the spyware Pegasus, which has been used by governments to monitor critics and dissidents, a report says.

Researchers said most of those targeted work at the El Faro news outlet, which has reported on alleged secret talks between the government and gangs.

They could not prove who was behind the hack, but said evidence pointed to government involvement.

The government has denied this.

Pegasus, which was designed by the Israeli company NSO Group, infects iPhones and Android devices, allowing operators to extract messages, photos and emails, record calls and secretly activate microphones and cameras.

The investigation into the El Salvador hack was carried out by the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab and digital rights group Access Now. They said they had found evidence of incursions on 37 devices belonging to 35 individuals between July 2020 and November 2021.

Those who were allegedly hacked work at three human rights groups and six news publications, and one is an independent journalist. Amnesty International's Security Lab independently confirmed the findings.

The main target was El Faro, the country's leading independent news outlet, which had 22 people hacked including reporters and editors. That amounts to more than half of its staff. The report said it had evidence that data had been stolen from many of the devices affected.

The alleged hacks coincided with reports the outlet published about scandals involving President Nayib Bukele's administration, including allegations that the government secretly negotiated with gang leaders in prison in order to reduce the levels of crime. The government denied the claims.

Carlos Martínez, an investigative journalist who wrote those reports, said hackers had spent 269 days inside his phone. "For 269 days they invaded my privacy," he said on Twitter.

The revelations also come amid an increasingly hostile environment for media and rights groups under President Bukele, a populist who enjoys high approval ratings and often rails against his critics in the press.

El Faro's editor-in-chief Oscar Martínez had his phone infiltrated at least 42 times, according to Citizen Lab.

"It is hard for me to think or conclude something other than the government of El Salvador" was behind the alleged hacks, Mr Martínez was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying. "It's evident that there is a radical interest in understanding what El Faro is doing."

Citizen Lab said it could not conclusively say who was behind the deployment of the spyware but that there was "circumstantial evidence pointing to a strong El Salvador government nexus".

John Scott-Railton, senior researcher at Citizen Lab and an author of the report, told the Associated Press that the "aggressiveness and persistence of the hacking was jaw-dropping".

"What was especially disturbing in this case was its juxtaposition with the physical threats and violent language against the media in El Salvador," he said. "This is the kind of thing that perhaps wouldn't surprise you in a dictatorship but at least on paper El Salvador is a democracy."

Sofía Medina, a spokeswoman for President Bukele, said in a statement that "El Salvador is no way associated with Pegasus and nor is a client of NSO Group", and that the government was investigating the possible use of the spyware in the country.

The allegations are the latest to hit NSO, which was blacklisted by the US government last year amid allegations that its spyware was being used by repressive governments to hack innocent people, including activists, politicians and journalists.

NSO said in a statement that it sold its products only to legitimate intelligence and law enforcement agencies for use against terrorists and criminals, and that it did not know who the targets of its customers were. The company declined to comment on whether El Salvador was a Pegasus customer.



What’s it like to have spyware on your phone?


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×