Dubai princess' number on Pegasus spyware list
The phone numbers for Princess Latifa and some of her friends appeared on a leaked database of surveillance targets reportedly selected by customers of the Israel-based NSO Group.
The phone number of Emirati Princess Latifa, the daughter of Dubai’s ruler who has accused her family of holding her against her will, appeared on a leaked list of more than 50,000 numbers that were reportedly selected as potential targets by clients of NSO Group. Some of the princess' friends numbers were also on the list.
The Israeli cybersurveillance firm is under fire after a sweeping joint investigation published by 17 media outlets revealed that the smartphones of journalists, politicians, activists and even heads of state may have been hacked by NSO Group’s Pegasus software, which researchers say gives users access to a phone’s contents and the ability to remotely access its camera and microphone.
Research from Citizen Lab, the University of Toronto’s digital watchdog that collaborated on the investigation, indicates the United Arab Emirates was a client of NSO Group when Latifa tried to flee in 2018.
The whereabouts and well-being of Latifa, the daughter of Emirati Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, remain a mystery. Earlier this year, the BBC’s “Panorama” program aired a series of videos during which Latifa claimed to be held “hostage” by her family without access to medical help or the ability to get fresh air.
