Pegasus and Beyond: Using Litigation to Combat Spyware

Session Format: Panel Discussion.

Surveillance has been a central issue for human rights defenders, journalists, and dissidents for many years. The knowledge, or even the perception, of being surveilled can lead to self-censorship and can have wider impact on freedom of expression. In recent years, spyware technologies, such as Pegasus, have become much more sophisticated. The impact of such intrusive technologies has resulted in global efforts to litigate spyware cases.The purpose of this session is to identify key challenges around surveillance and spyware and to map solutions based on past litigation. The session will facilitate a comprehensive analysis of surveillance as a global issue, before focusing on recent cases related to the Pegasus spyware litigation in the African context and more widely.