A new report by Citizen Lab reveals that Intellexa's Predator spyware was used to hack the iPhone of prominent Angolan journalist and human rights activist Rafael Marques de Morais, highlighting the persistent threat of commercial surveillance tools to press freedom and civil society.
Introduction
A new, alarming report from the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab reveals that Intellexa’s notorious Predator spyware was used to compromise the iPhone of Rafael Marques de Morais, a prominent Angolan investigative journalist and human rights activist. This discovery profoundly underscores the persistent threat these commercial surveillance tools pose to press freedom, civil society, and digital security worldwide.
The Core Details
The research, published by the esteemed Citizen Lab, details how Rafael Marques de Morais was targeted and infected with Intellexa’s highly intrusive Predator spyware between September 2023 and February 2024. De Morais, celebrated for his critical reporting on corruption and human rights abuses in Angola, received suspicious SMS messages containing malicious links, a sophisticated infection vector. Forensic analysis by Citizen Lab definitively confirmed the presence of Predator on his iPhone, indicating a full compromise of the device, enabling real-time monitoring of his communications, data, and activities.
- Target Profile: Rafael Marques de Morais, a leading Angolan investigative journalist and human rights advocate.
- Spyware Used: Intellexa's Predator, a state-of-the-art commercial surveillance tool.
- Infection Timeline: Active compromise identified between September 2023 and February 2024.
- Detection Method: Discovered and verified by Citizen Lab through advanced digital forensics.
- Device Impact: Complete takeover of the iPhone, allowing comprehensive data exfiltration and surveillance.
Intellexa, an Israeli-European consortium, markets its "lawful intercept" solutions primarily to government agencies. However, Predator has been repeatedly linked to cases involving the surveillance of journalists, political dissidents, and human rights defenders, raising serious international concerns.
Context & Market Position
This incident firmly places Intellexa back under the global spotlight, reinforcing its position alongside infamous entities like NSO Group (Pegasus) and Candiru. The targeting of an Angolan journalist further illuminates a disturbing global trend: powerful surveillance tools, ostensibly for national security, are consistently weaponized by states to silence critical voices and suppress dissent. Citizen Lab has tirelessly documented this pattern, revealing a pervasive ecosystem where intrusive technologies proliferate with minimal regulatory oversight. This environment allows companies like Intellexa to operate in a legal vacuum, frequently facilitating severe human rights violations. The recurrent targeting of journalists, indispensable for democratic accountability, signifies a deliberate strategy by some governments to stifle independent reporting. This situation underscores the urgent imperative for robust international cooperation and stringent legal frameworks to govern the sale and deployment of commercial spyware.
“Commercial spyware is an unregulatable weapon that has been deployed against individuals from across the political spectrum around the globe.”
— John Scott-Railton, Senior Researcher at Citizen Lab
Why It Matters
The targeting of Rafael Marques de Morais with Predator spyware is deeply troubling, striking at the very core of press freedom and individual liberty. For consumers, it chillingly illustrates that even robustly secured devices like iPhones remain vulnerable to state-of-the-art surveillance tools, eroding trust in digital safeguards. For journalists and human rights defenders, it presents an existential threat to their safety and their capacity to conduct vital work, potentially leading to self-censorship and a decline in critical reporting. This event also compels us to question the responsibility of technology giants, whose efforts to enhance device security are perpetually challenged. More broadly, it signifies a dangerous global trajectory where potent, invasive surveillance technology is increasingly accessible to governments, including those with questionable human rights records, facilitating digital authoritarianism. These reports highlight the urgent necessity for stricter export controls on surveillance technology and enhanced accountability for both developers and purchasers. Without decisive action, unchecked digital surveillance will only proliferate, imperiling democratic values globally.
What's Next
This latest revelation by Citizen Lab is poised to significantly intensify calls for greater scrutiny of Intellexa and the entire commercial spyware industry. Expect mounting pressure on governments and international organizations for more stringent regulations, potentially encompassing sanctions against implicated companies and states. Cybersecurity researchers will continue their indispensable work, while civil society organizations will persist in their fierce advocacy. The complex struggle between digital surveillance and fundamental human rights is set to escalate further.
