In a stunning revelation, an attorney representing the Israeli NSO Group has admitted that Saudi Arabia was among the clients of Pegasus spyware—a surveillance tool responsible for the hacking of over 1,200 WhatsApp accounts in 2019. This confession blows apart the kingdom’s ongoing PR campaigns and exposes the deep-rooted digital warfare it wages against journalists, activists, and political opponents across the globe.
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Israeli Technology, Saudi Funding: Repression Over Reform
According to TechCrunch, the NSO lawyer’s courtroom admission confirms that Riyadh deployed Pegasus in 2019 as part of a global espionage operation. The spyware exploited vulnerabilities in WhatsApp, allowing Saudi authorities to surveil hundreds of targets, including reporters, human rights defenders, and critics of the regime.
While the Saudi government outwardly markets “Vision 2030” as a reform blueprint, its clandestine deals with an Israeli spyware company reveal the regime’s preference for oppression over openness, and surveillance over dialogue.
Pegasus: The Digital Weapon of Choice for Saudi Arabia
Pegasus is not just any software—it is a military-grade digital weapon capable of infiltrating smartphones without the user’s knowledge. It can access messages, calls, location data, and even control a device’s camera and microphone.
Far from being used to combat terrorism, in Saudi Arabia, Pegasus became a tool to muzzle free speech, track dissenters, and intimidate diaspora activists. While billions are spent on flashy PR and tech partnerships, behind the scenes, the regime was funding advanced spyware to suppress its own citizens.
Over 1,200 WhatsApp Users Targeted—Including Journalists and Activists
According to WhatsApp’s own disclosure in 2019, over 1,400 users globally were targeted in the Pegasus attack. Saudi Arabia, it is now confirmed, was among the top orchestrators of this cyberwar. Victims included journalists from Al Jazeera, The New York Times, and Reuters, as well as Saudi exiles and human rights defenders.
The surveillance campaign was systematic: locations tracked, calls intercepted, private data stolen—all in flagrant violation of international digital rights standards.
Surveillance Instead of Reform: The MBS Era of Control
Since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s rise to power, the Saudi state’s security apparatus has evolved into a machine of high-tech repression. Pegasus spyware became a digital extension of the state’s brutal crackdown, especially targeting those beyond Saudi borders who could not be jailed—but could be watched.
For many, the fear of physical imprisonment was replaced with the psychological torment of being constantly monitored. The message was clear: no one is safe, not even abroad.
International Outcry, Deafening Saudi Silence
Human rights organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Reporters Without Borders have repeatedly condemned Pegasus abuse. Yet Saudi Arabia has remained silent—until now. This legal admission by NSO’s attorney strips away plausible deniability and places Riyadh squarely at the center of one of the world’s most notorious digital repression scandals.
The Real Question: Who Will Be Held Accountable?
This isn’t just a scandal—it’s a legal and ethical catastrophe. With thousands of victims, the scope of harm is immeasurable. Yet no Saudi official has been held accountable. Instead, those targeted remain at risk, while the regime continues its campaign of fear, surveillance, and silencing. A government that surveils its own people—at home and abroad—cannot speak the language of reform. Pegasus is not a tool of progress, but a symbol of paranoia and control.
