Pegasus audiobook cover - How a Spy in Our Pocket Threatens the End of Privacy, Dignity, and Democracy

Pegasus

How a Spy in Our Pocket Threatens the End of Privacy, Dignity, and Democracy

Laurent Richard and Sandrine Rigaud

★ 4.3 / 5(296 ratings)
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Pegasus
The Pegasus Software+
The Leaked Data+
The Investigation+
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Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 6
According to the text, what was the primary discrepancy between the Israeli company NSO's claims about Pegasus and the journalists' findings?
  • A. NSO claimed the software was only for tracking weather patterns, but it was used for political polling.
  • B. NSO claimed the software was exclusively licensed to governments to fight crime and terrorism, but it was actually targeting journalists, activists, and politicians.
  • C. NSO claimed the software was harmless adware, but it was actually stealing bank account information from everyday citizens.
  • D. NSO claimed the software was a prototype that had never been sold, but it was already installed on millions of devices worldwide.
Question 2 of 6
What crucial piece of evidence initiated the global investigation known as the 'Pegasus Project'?
  • A. A public confession from a former NSO software engineer.
  • B. A massive data breach exposing the financial records of the Israeli company NSO.
  • C. A leaked list of approximately 50,000 phone numbers selected as potential targets for the software.
  • D. An accidental email sent by the Moroccan government to a French investigative journalist.
Question 3 of 6
Why did the journalists conclude that the use of Pegasus represented a fundamental attack on free speech and democracy?
  • A. Because the software was being used to manipulate voting machines during national elections.
  • B. Because the largest group of targeted phone numbers on the leaked list belonged to journalists.
  • C. Because NSO was providing the software to regular citizens to spy on their neighbors.
  • D. Because the software automatically deleted news articles from major media websites.
Question 4 of 6
How did the investigative team first independently verify the authenticity of the leaked list of phone numbers?
  • A. By hacking into NSO's corporate servers to match the numbers with client invoices.
  • B. By publishing the list online and waiting for the targeted individuals to come forward with their stories.
  • C. By purchasing a copy of Pegasus on the black market and testing it on their own devices.
  • D. By convincing a Mexican journalist to let them use a forensics tool on his phone, which revealed a suspicious text message matching the list's data.
Question 5 of 6
What was the primary strategy used by the Pegasus Project team to publish their findings?
  • A. Releasing the information slowly over the course of a year through a single French publication.
  • B. Partnering with major media outlets around the globe for a coordinated mass publication on an agreed-upon date.
  • C. Selling the exclusive rights of the story to the highest-bidding American news network.
  • D. Publishing the entire leaked list of 50,000 numbers on social media to crowdsource the investigation.
Question 6 of 6
Following the publication of the Pegasus Project, how did Laurent Richard respond to the French government's demands to share the leaked list and reveal his source?
  • A. He complied immediately to avoid a lengthy prison sentence for defamation.
  • B. He agreed to share the list only after the French government paid a substantial consulting fee.
  • C. He refused to hand over the information, prioritizing journalistic ethics and the safety of his source.
  • D. He fled to East Berlin and sought asylum to protect the source's identity.

Pegasus — Full Chapter Overview

Pegasus Summary & Overview

Pegasus (2023) follows the thrilling, worldwide investigation into one of the most powerful and insidious pieces of cyber surveillance software known to date. Beginning with a massive data leak to a small, independent news outlet, it tells the story of how Pegasus came to be, the hundreds of innocent individuals who have had their privacy taken away by it, and the global team of reporters and editors who risked everything to bring the story to light.

Who Should Listen to Pegasus?

  • Followers of the Pegasus Project and other cyber security international bombshells like the Panama Papers, or Wikileaks.
  • Fans of investigative journalism who want to know the stories behind the reports that shake the world.
  • Anyone who owns a phone and wants to know just how fragile their privacy really is.

About the Author: Laurent Richard and Sandrine Rigaud

Laurent Richard is a French journalist and cofounder of Forbidden Stories, an organization dedicated to continuing and publishing the work of other journalists who have been murdered, jailed, or threatened. He has been conducting international investigations for over 20 years, and in 2018 he was named “European Journalist of the Year” at the Prix Europa in Berlin.

Sandrine Rigaud is a French journalist and editor of Forbidden Stories. Apart from her work on the “Pegasus Project,” she has also published the “Cartel Project,” a collaboration to finish the investigation of a murdered Mexican journalist. She has reported from all over the world, including Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Lebanon, Qatar, and Bangladesh.

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