Technology

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The Big Story

US lawmakers, journalists targeted with spyware: probe

Vietnamese government agents apparently tried to install Predator spyware on the phones of U.S. lawmakers and journalists using social media posts.

An investigation by Amnesty International and a consortium of a news outlets found that an account posted malicious links on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

If clicked the links, could install Predator, a spyware similar to Pegasus.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Sens. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) were all tagged in posts that contained links to the spyware.

CNN and three of its journalists were also targeted with X posts containing the malicious links, which often mimicked articles from real news outlets.

“Agents of the Vietnamese authorities, or persons acting on their behalf, may be behind the spyware campaign,” Amnesty International said in its report.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security apparently signed a deal with a company tied to Predator’s developers through a network that researchers called the “Intellexa alliance.”

The ministry also appeared to receive technology shipments through the network’s intermediaries, according to the investigation.

Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Technology newsletter, we’re Rebecca Klar and Julia Shapero — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley.

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