The Spyware Governments Use to Silence Dissent
Journalists, activists, and human rights defenders are being targeted and silenced daily by authoritarian governments that fear losing power. One of the deadliest tools used against them is Pegasus—a powerful cyber-surveillance weapon that puts lives at risk.
In this interview, I sit down with Laurent Richard, founder of Forbidden Stories and co-author of Pegasus. His team broke the story on Pegasus spyware and built a global network to safeguard journalists working on dangerous stories. Learn how Pegasus operates, the fight to protect freedom of the press, and how we can combat digital surveillance before it’s too late.
00:00 CyberSurveillance is a Military Weapon
01:19 Forbidden Stories
04:28 Global Spyware Threat
05:17 How Forbidden Stories Broke The Pegasus Story
15:40 The Danger of Intelligence Spyware
22:59 Privacy is Essential for Democracy
26:09 How to Begin Change
29:55 CyberSurveillance Needs Regulation
32:39 This is Where We Are
34:47 Governments Have a Vested Interest in Spyware
39:44 Hope Remains
43:04 There is a Lot to Do
47:37 The Safe Box Network
52:20 Conclusion
Cyber surveillance is a military weapon wielded against civilians, actually putting human lives in danger. We must protect journalists, activists, dissidents, and all vulnerable individuals from powerful, corrupt organizations as they risk everything to expose the truth. Together, we must signal to the world that we demand a future where technology serves us—free from the fear of surveillance.
Special Thanks to Laurent Richard
https://forbiddenstories.org/
Pegasus: How a Spy in Your Pocket Threatens the End of Privacy, Dignity, and Democracy:
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250858696/pegasus
Brought to you by NBTV team members: Lee Rennie, Sam Ettaro, Will Sandoval and Naomi Brockwell.
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