UN High Commissioner warns against human rights breaches through surveillance technologies

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has in a statement  condemned the widespread use of spyware including the Pegasus software to spy on journalists, human rights defenders, politicians and others across the world. The statement points out that the development appears to cement the fears ‘about the potential misuse of surveillance technology to illegally undermine people’s human rights.’ The statement called on companies involved in the development and distribution of surveillance technologies to take responsibility to ensure they do not infringe on human rights. The statement further called on governments to immediately cease their own use of surveillance technologies to violate rights and to take concrete steps to protect their citizens against  the wrongful use of such technologies.