In countries with authoritarian governments, smartphones are no longer just tools for communication and entertainment — they are now being used to monitor people’s movements and online activities without their knowledge.
One major surveillance tool is a secret software called Pegasus, which has taken smartphone spying to dangerous new levels. Shockingly, this kind of monitoring can happen with just a single tap on your phone screen.
The Citizen Lab, a respected research group based at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto, has released detailed reports showing how Pegasus is being used worldwide, especially in countries ruled by repressive governments.
These leaders are using the software to silence political opponents, suppress freedom of speech, and push state-controlled narratives.
This situation hits close to home in Kenya, where more citizens have become interested in government affairs and are engaging more in online activism and civic education.
These growing voices have led to reported cases of abductions and enforced disappearances, where those suspected of criticizing the government are allegedly kidnapped.
Victims of such cases have shared stories where their phones were seized, and they were forced to unlock them, giving access to personal data. This access could allow the attackers to secretly install surveillance tools like Pegasus.
John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab, explains that Pegasus — which was developed by an Israeli technology firm — can do everything the user can do with their phone. But it doesn’t stop there.
The spyware can read encrypted messages, track your physical movements through GPS, monitor everything you do online, and even access information saved in your cloud storage.
If Pegasus infects your device, it practically makes your life an open book — your conversations, photos, locations, contacts, and internet activity become visible to those spying on you.
One of the ways Pegasus infects phones is through a method known as “click access.” This means a user has to click on a link or open a message for the spyware to be installed.
Scott-Railton shared a chilling example of a Saudi student in Canada who openly criticized the Saudi government.
The student ordered a package online and later received a text message with a tracking link. Unknowingly, he clicked the link — and that was all it took for Pegasus to infiltrate his phone.
From that moment, every action on his phone was being monitored without his knowledge.
Despite the high costs of Pegasus, many governments are still purchasing the software because of the immense political benefits it offers to those in power who want to silence critics and retain control.
But surveillance technology has evolved even further with the rise of “zero-click attacks.” These are much more advanced and dangerous than click-based attacks. With zero-click attacks, no action is needed from the user at all.
The spyware installs itself silently, without any link being opened or any button being tapped. This makes detection nearly impossible.
These silent attacks allow hackers to gain full access to your phone remotely — your calls, texts, photos, and apps can all be accessed without your consent or awareness.
Even as global pressure mounts against Pegasus, a new spyware tool called Paragon has entered the scene. Paragon, also developed in Israel, focuses on hacking communication apps like WhatsApp and Signal using zero-click techniques.
Here’s how it works: the attacker secretly adds the victim to a WhatsApp group using a special trick. Then, a PDF file is sent to that group, and the victim’s phone automatically opens it — without any user action.
Once opened, the spyware spreads throughout the phone, infecting other apps and giving full control to the attacker. The victim has no idea this is happening, which shows just how dangerous and invisible these tools are.
To reduce the risk of infection, smartphone users are advised to take several precautionary steps. Always update your phone’s operating system, as updates often include important security patches. Install trustworthy security apps to scan for unusual activities.
Watch out for unexpected battery drain, strange data usage, or odd behavior on your device — these can be signs your phone has been compromised.
While no official cases have been confirmed in Kenya yet, the possibility of spyware like Pegasus or Paragon being used is high, especially given the country’s political climate and recent reports of enforced disappearances.
Smartphone users in Kenya and other vulnerable regions are strongly urged to stay informed, stay cautious, and always take digital safety seriously.
Cyber surveillance is becoming more advanced, and in this digital age, our phones can easily be turned against us if we’re not careful.
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