Serbia used Israeli firm’s tech to enable spy campaign, Amnesty says

16/12/2024 14:17

Serbian officials installed homegrown spyware on the phones of dozens of journalists and activists, Amnesty International said in a report released on Monday, citing digital forensic evidence and testimony from activists who said they were hacked in recent months.



In two cases, software provided by Israeli surveillance company Cellebrite DI Ltd was used to unlock phones prior to infection, the report said.



The Serbian spyware, dubbed "NoviSpy" by Amnesty, then took covert screenshots of mobile devices, copied contacts, and uploaded them to a government-controlled server, the report said.



Amnesty said, "In multiple cases, activists and a journalist reported signs of suspicious activity on their mobile phones directly following interviews with Serbian police and security authorities."



Cellebrite products are widely used by law enforcement, including the FBI, to unlock smartphones and scour them for evidence. Cellebrite Chief Marketing Officer David Gee said it was investigating the Amnesty allegations.