Pegasus alerts hit opposition

Two opposition party leaders in Thailand have reported receiving alerts on their mobile phones concerning potential cyberattacks. Abhisit Vejjajiva, leader of the Democrat Party, indicated his warning specifically mentioned Pegasus, which is described as mercenary spyware reportedly used by governments and state entities for surveillance or targeting political opponents. This type of sophisticated tool represents a significant capability in digital monitoring.

Despite the explicit mention of Pegasus in Mr. Abhisit's warning, his initial device checks did not detect any spyware. He also stated he had not concluded a link between the warning and the upcoming no-confidence debate. Separately, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the People's Party, shared a screenshot of a "similar spyware warning," though without specifying Pegasus, and publicly questioned potential coincidences with political events.

The Digital Economy and Society Minister, Chaichanok Chidchob, offered an alternative explanation for Mr. Abhisit's warning, linking it to recent reports from Apple regarding potential malware attacks across 99 countries. This suggests that the alerts received by the opposition leaders may stem from a more general threat landscape rather than confirmed, targeted deployment of Pegasus spyware in these specific instances.