Pegasus spyware found on journalists’ phones, French intelligence confirms

Announcement is first time an independent and official authority has corroborated Pegasus project findings

French intelligence investigators have confirmed that Pegasus spyware has been found on the phones of three journalists, including a senior member of staff at the country's international television station France 24.

It is the first time an independent and official authority has corroborated the findings of an international investigation by the Pegasus project - a consortium of 17 media outlets, including the Guardian. Forbidden Stories, a Paris-based nonprofit media organisation, and Amnesty International initially had access to a leaked list of 50,000 numbers that, it is believed, have been identified as those of people of interest by clients of Israeli firm NSO Group since 2016, and shared access with their media partners.