Amnesty International Unveils Digital Surveillance in Morocco
A recent report from Amnesty International has shed light on an extensive digital surveillance system operating in Morocco, revealing the use of sophisticated spying technologies, including the notorious Pegasus software, aimed at targeting journalists, activists, and human rights defenders. This alarming revelation comes amidst allegations of harassment and defamation directed at several of those targeted.
In the report titled "We Begin with Governance: Inside the Moroccan Surveillance Machine," released on October 1, 2026, Amnesty outlines how this surveillance system relies on data collection, phone hacking, communication tracking, and geographical monitoring, highlighting the pivotal role played by the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance in these operations, according to the findings of their investigation.
Methods of Surveillance and Targeting
The organization documented the use of the Pegasus spyware against individuals within Morocco, including Sahrawi defenders, based on digital forensic analyses and interviews with targeted individuals, as well as testimony from a former member of the Moroccan intelligence services. Amnesty's analysis indicates that the spyware was employed between 2017 and 2021, and possibly beyond, despite the Moroccan government's official denials.
Amnesty International pointed out that the methods of intrusion were not limited to attacks requiring victims to click on malicious links; they also included 'one-click' attacks and other forms of exploitation that could be executed without any user interaction. These techniques facilitated monitoring of communications, internet traffic, location tracking, and data extraction from mobile devices.
Moreover, the report describes how Pegasus forms part of a larger arsenal that encompasses additional tools and technologies, including products linked to the companies Hacking Team and FinFisher, alongside eavesdropping devices and surveillance cameras. The surveillance operations were not only focused on gathering information but, in some cases, also involved smear campaigns utilizing personal images, correspondence, and private data, which were coupled with arrests and legal pursuits against targeted individuals.
Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, stated that "Morocco has fully adopted authoritarian technological practices and acquired a wide range of surveillance technologies designed to establish and operate a repressive system aimed at instilling fear into human rights defenders and journalists, silencing them, and obstructing their work both within and outside Morocco." The organization emphasized that Moroccan authorities are employing "high-tech tools" alongside traditional methods such as stalking and eavesdropping.
In relation to Western Sahara, Amnesty noted that Sahrawi defenders are among the most targeted groups due to their protest activities and advocacy for human rights, with some of these activities regarded as linked to the "internal security of the state." This is not the first time Morocco has faced allegations of employing surveillance tools. For years, non-governmental organizations, including Amnesty International, as well as international media, have accused Rabat of utilizing the Pegasus spyware developed by the Israeli company NSO to target journalists, activists, and politicians.
As reported by echoroukonline.com.
