The French President is holding an exceptional speech with his official government members. The agenda of the meeting is to discuss the progress of investigations about the Pegasus spy system. The purpose of these investigations was to check the recent press reports. These reports claim that Macron himself was among the targets listed for surveillance.
Gabriel Attal is one French Government spokesman. He said in an interview that President Macron is very serious about this issue. He also wants to resolve it by paying closer attention to this matter.
Due to this reason they have set up a special Defense Council focused on cybersecurity. Especially on the Pegasus spyware made by the Israeli company NSO. All of those countries that buy it have access to people’s mobile phones. They also have access to their mobile phone cameras and microphones.
Recently, the information has been shared by groups of international media. According to them, there are about 12 countries across the globe that use this spy system. Their aim is to spy on journalists, human rights defenders, and politicians.
There are many people in France whose phones were targeted, including President Macron. This information is revealed by the Forbidden Stories consortium.
Furthermore, Attal mentioned that France is the nation that is currently starting an investigation. The aim of this finding is to check whether the phones of several important individuals were hacked. Initially the media report could not confirm this. But the government investigated and looked into it further. They want to know that,is the Pegasus spyware software used to steal data, listen to conversations, or capture images from these phones.
He also stated that these investigations are moving forward and collecting more and more information. Attal emphasized that if these suspicions are confirmed, it would be a very serious matter. This would mean that personal and sensitive data are not safe further. It also means that this information was illegally accessed. It also raises serious concern about privacy and security.
He didn’t discuss what the impact might be on the special relationship France has with Morocco. French officials have always been very careful about this topic.
One of the government spokesmen defended Macron against accusation and criticism that he has been naive.Recently, people have criticized Macron for how he uses his cell phones, suggesting he doesn’t follow security guidelines. The spokesman stands with the side of Macron and against these claims. He said Macron is aware of the security rules and implying that the criticisms are unfounded.
The spokesperson’s defense highlights the sensitive nature of both France’s international relations and the security protocols followed by high-ranking officials like Macron.
“We understand how crucial cyber defense and cybersecurity are,” he emphasized. He highlighted the strong protection measures in place for the President’s cell phone use.
He also mentioned that Macron doesn’t stick to single cell phones. He regularly changes his mobile and also adjusts different types of settings. For security reasons the spokesman did not go into detail. But he assured that when the Executive organizes video conferences, they use secure networks and specific, dedicated locations. So, all meetings and secret discussions are done within the highest level of a secure environment.
So, the President and his team members take extra precautions to defend against cyber threats. Their main priority is security. For this purpose they regularly change phones, and adjust different settings. They also hold meetings and conferences in a secured environment. All of these steps are important in order to protect the sensitive information and also maintain secure and confidential communications.
