1 00:00:00,210 --> 00:00:01,590 Beneath the headlines. 2 00:00:01,980 --> 00:00:06,090 Behind the timelines, there is a story no one wants you to find. 3 00:00:06,540 --> 00:00:12,960 Welcome to some unapproved thinking, where forgotten truths, buried patterns, and 4 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:15,750 invisible systems rise to the surface. 5 00:00:16,110 --> 00:00:18,810 You weren't crazy, you were just early. 6 00:00:19,350 --> 00:00:20,070 Let's begin. 7 00:00:20,430 --> 00:00:21,420 Welcome back, everyone. 8 00:00:21,930 --> 00:00:26,340 Today we're diving into a topic that feels like it's creeping more 9 00:00:26,340 --> 00:00:27,870 and more into our daily lives. 10 00:00:29,340 --> 00:00:30,210 Surveillance. 11 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,660 It's like we're all connected to this digital leash that constantly 12 00:00:33,660 --> 00:00:35,130 pulls us in different directions. 13 00:00:36,480 --> 00:00:40,140 You know, when I first heard about Pegasus, that spyware that can hijack 14 00:00:40,140 --> 00:00:44,580 your phone without any interaction, I was like, oh wait, we're letting this happen. 15 00:00:44,730 --> 00:00:45,900 That's wild. 16 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:49,285 I mean, accessing messages, microphones, cameras, even our 17 00:00:49,565 --> 00:00:51,390 locations, it's pretty invasive, right? 18 00:00:52,020 --> 00:00:54,870 It starts with a message you never see, no suspicious link, 19 00:00:55,020 --> 00:00:56,730 no strange file, no warning. 20 00:00:56,910 --> 00:01:00,090 Your phone stays in your pocket, your screen never lights up 21 00:01:00,300 --> 00:01:01,680 and nothing looks out of place. 22 00:01:02,010 --> 00:01:05,250 But in that exact moment, your entire digital life may 23 00:01:05,250 --> 00:01:06,900 already be open to someone else. 24 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:12,210 That's not a theory, that's not a concept, that's a product, and it exists. 25 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:16,770 I remember the first time I really understood how completely 26 00:01:16,980 --> 00:01:18,720 vulnerable we all are. 27 00:01:19,020 --> 00:01:20,580 I was sitting in a coffee shop. 28 00:01:20,970 --> 00:01:24,570 Watching people around me, everyone staring at their phones, completely 29 00:01:24,570 --> 00:01:26,640 absorbed, completely trusting. 30 00:01:26,940 --> 00:01:27,810 That's when it hit me. 31 00:01:28,140 --> 00:01:32,760 We're all carrying the most sophisticated surveillance device ever created, 32 00:01:32,940 --> 00:01:34,950 and we paid for it ourselves. 33 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:39,750 The company behind this particular nightmare is called NSO Group. 34 00:01:40,170 --> 00:01:44,700 For years, they've been selling one of the most powerful surveillance tools ever 35 00:01:44,700 --> 00:01:47,039 created to governments around the world. 36 00:01:47,370 --> 00:01:49,500 The software is known as Pegasus. 37 00:01:50,595 --> 00:01:54,315 Tonight we ask when the device in your pocket becomes a window into 38 00:01:54,315 --> 00:01:58,155 your soul, who's really holding the other end of the leash? 39 00:01:59,115 --> 00:02:03,315 Mm. This is some unapproved thinking. 40 00:02:03,645 --> 00:02:06,945 We live in an age where digital surveillance has become so normalized 41 00:02:06,945 --> 00:02:08,535 that we barely notice it anymore. 42 00:02:08,925 --> 00:02:10,455 Your phone tracks your location. 43 00:02:10,664 --> 00:02:12,615 Your apps monitor your behavior. 44 00:02:12,825 --> 00:02:14,205 Your searches are recorded. 45 00:02:14,505 --> 00:02:16,995 Your conversations are analyzed. 46 00:02:17,430 --> 00:02:21,900 We've accepted this as the price of convenience, but what if I told 47 00:02:21,900 --> 00:02:25,980 you there's a level of surveillance so sophisticated, so invasive, so 48 00:02:25,980 --> 00:02:29,910 complete that it makes everything you thought you knew about digital 49 00:02:29,910 --> 00:02:32,310 privacy look like child's play. 50 00:02:32,700 --> 00:02:36,570 I spent years inside corporate systems where we discuss customer 51 00:02:36,570 --> 00:02:38,315 insights and behavioral analytics. 52 00:02:38,850 --> 00:02:42,750 The language was always clinical professional, but what we were really 53 00:02:42,750 --> 00:02:44,370 talking about was surveillance. 54 00:02:44,775 --> 00:02:49,005 If corporations can do this much with your data, imagine what governments 55 00:02:49,005 --> 00:02:51,525 can do with military grade spyware. 56 00:02:52,095 --> 00:02:57,614 The post smartphone world created the perfect surveillance infrastructure. 57 00:02:57,945 --> 00:03:01,665 Everyone carries a device that knows where they are, who they talk to, 58 00:03:01,875 --> 00:03:06,165 what they search for, what they buy, what they read, what they watch. 59 00:03:06,375 --> 00:03:08,445 The infrastructure was already there. 60 00:03:08,774 --> 00:03:10,665 Pegasus just weaponized it. 61 00:03:12,450 --> 00:03:14,520 Pegasus isn't mass surveillance. 62 00:03:14,700 --> 00:03:19,200 It's precision surveillance, targeted, silent surgical. 63 00:03:19,590 --> 00:03:21,090 It doesn't need to watch everyone. 64 00:03:21,270 --> 00:03:23,850 It just needs to watch the people who matter. 65 00:03:24,090 --> 00:03:26,520 The journalists investigating corruption. 66 00:03:26,910 --> 00:03:30,630 The activists organizing resistance, the lawyers defending 67 00:03:30,630 --> 00:03:34,170 dissidents, the politicians asking uncomfortable questions. 68 00:03:34,890 --> 00:03:38,190 Understanding what Pegasus can do isn't just about technology. 69 00:03:38,190 --> 00:03:42,480 It's about recognizing that your phone isn't just a communication device, 70 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:45,810 it's a surveillance device that can be turned against you by anyone with the 71 00:03:45,810 --> 00:03:47,820 right access and the right motivation. 72 00:03:49,829 --> 00:03:54,299 Let me walk you through what Pegasus actually does, because the reality is more 73 00:03:54,299 --> 00:03:56,489 disturbing than most people can imagine. 74 00:03:57,089 --> 00:03:58,950 Pegasus doesn't need you to click anything. 75 00:03:59,609 --> 00:04:01,350 It doesn't need you to download anything. 76 00:04:01,845 --> 00:04:04,425 It doesn't need you to make any mistakes at all. 77 00:04:04,695 --> 00:04:07,365 These are called zero click exploits. 78 00:04:07,545 --> 00:04:11,505 Vulnerabilities in apps like iMessage or WhatsApp that can be triggered 79 00:04:11,505 --> 00:04:13,095 without any action from you. 80 00:04:13,515 --> 00:04:14,115 One second. 81 00:04:14,115 --> 00:04:15,945 Your phone is yours the next second. 82 00:04:16,095 --> 00:04:18,105 It isn't, and you'll never know the difference. 83 00:04:18,765 --> 00:04:21,885 I've read the technical documentation on how this works. 84 00:04:22,245 --> 00:04:25,995 It's not science fiction, it's operational technology that's been 85 00:04:25,995 --> 00:04:28,755 deployed against real people for years. 86 00:04:28,995 --> 00:04:34,005 Once Pegasus is on your device, it becomes invisible. 87 00:04:34,305 --> 00:04:37,305 It can read your encrypted messages, even from apps that 88 00:04:37,305 --> 00:04:38,865 claim to be completely secure. 89 00:04:39,105 --> 00:04:41,955 It can silently activate your microphone and listen to your 90 00:04:41,955 --> 00:04:43,875 conversations in real time. 91 00:04:44,115 --> 00:04:47,565 It can turn on your camera without the indicator light. 92 00:04:47,925 --> 00:04:49,000 It can track your movements. 93 00:04:49,695 --> 00:04:50,835 With precision. 94 00:04:51,045 --> 00:04:52,005 Oh yeah. 95 00:04:52,065 --> 00:04:54,165 And it leaves almost no trace. 96 00:04:54,825 --> 00:04:57,735 This isn't the kind of surveillance you see in movies where hackers 97 00:04:57,735 --> 00:05:01,065 need to break through firewalls and type furiously on keyboards. 98 00:05:01,245 --> 00:05:03,375 This is point and click spying. 99 00:05:03,705 --> 00:05:07,125 Government agencies can literally purchase the ability to completely 100 00:05:07,125 --> 00:05:09,825 compromise any smartphone on earth. 101 00:05:10,485 --> 00:05:12,975 But here's what makes this truly terrifying. 102 00:05:13,935 --> 00:05:16,335 NSO Group isn't a government agency. 103 00:05:16,575 --> 00:05:17,925 It's a private company. 104 00:05:18,285 --> 00:05:23,025 That means the most sophisticated surveillance technology ever created 105 00:05:23,265 --> 00:05:27,765 is for sale to anyone with enough money and the right connections. 106 00:05:28,455 --> 00:05:33,375 The customer list reads like a who's who of authoritarian regimes, Saudi Arabia, 107 00:05:33,405 --> 00:05:34,845 where journalists get dismembered. 108 00:05:34,845 --> 00:05:38,145 In embassies, Hungary, where the government systematically 109 00:05:38,145 --> 00:05:39,615 eliminates press freedom. 110 00:05:39,885 --> 00:05:43,905 India, where dissidents disappear, Mexico, where reporters 111 00:05:43,905 --> 00:05:45,945 investigating corruption end up dead. 112 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:47,549 But hold on here. 113 00:05:47,969 --> 00:05:50,219 It's not just authoritarian countries. 114 00:05:50,490 --> 00:05:52,530 Democratic governments have been customers too. 115 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:52,979 Yeah. 116 00:05:53,310 --> 00:05:58,200 The technology is so powerful, so tempting that even countries with strong 117 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,560 civil liberties and traditions can't seem to resist the urge to use it. 118 00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:04,620 And let's be clear here, the targeting isn't random. 119 00:06:04,919 --> 00:06:08,520 Pegasus has been used against journalists investigating government corruption, 120 00:06:08,789 --> 00:06:13,044 human rights lawyers, defending political prisoners, opposition politicians, 121 00:06:13,645 --> 00:06:14,924 challenging authoritarian rule. 122 00:06:15,555 --> 00:06:20,655 Family members of dissidents who pose no threat to anyone except by association. 123 00:06:21,284 --> 00:06:23,865 Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist who was murdered in the Saudi 124 00:06:23,865 --> 00:06:27,195 consulate in Istanbul had associates who were reportedly targeted with 125 00:06:27,195 --> 00:06:29,475 Pegasus before his assassination. 126 00:06:29,805 --> 00:06:32,445 That's not just surveillance, that's intelligence gathering 127 00:06:32,445 --> 00:06:33,765 for assassination planning. 128 00:06:34,395 --> 00:06:38,745 The most chilling aspect is how this technology eliminates the concept 129 00:06:38,745 --> 00:06:41,145 of private communication entirely. 130 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:46,830 Every text message, every phone call, every email, every photo, every document 131 00:06:46,830 --> 00:06:51,540 on your device, all of it can be accessed remotely, silently, continuously. 132 00:06:52,170 --> 00:06:54,030 Your phone becomes a bug in your pocket. 133 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,330 Your most private conversations become intelligence reports. 134 00:06:57,450 --> 00:07:01,320 Your personal relationships becomes surveillance targets your digital life 135 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:05,610 becomes an open book for anyone with the access and the motivation to read it. 136 00:07:06,270 --> 00:07:07,050 And the worst part. 137 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:09,325 Mm. You'll never know what's happening. 138 00:07:10,035 --> 00:07:14,085 Ah, Pegasus is designed to be completely invisible. 139 00:07:14,325 --> 00:07:19,335 No performance issues, no battery drain, and no suspicious behavior. 140 00:07:19,635 --> 00:07:23,595 Your phone works exactly the same way it always has, except now 141 00:07:23,685 --> 00:07:27,345 everything you do is being recorded and transmitted to people who want to 142 00:07:27,345 --> 00:07:29,865 control or perhaps even eliminate you. 143 00:07:30,525 --> 00:07:31,545 This isn't theoretical. 144 00:07:31,545 --> 00:07:35,620 This is happening right now to real people and in real time. 145 00:07:36,255 --> 00:07:39,795 Journalists, activists, lawyers, politicians, anyone who poses a 146 00:07:39,795 --> 00:07:43,395 threat to power can be completely compromised without ever 147 00:07:43,395 --> 00:07:44,925 knowing they're being watched. 148 00:07:46,725 --> 00:07:50,025 This pattern of using surveillance technology to eliminate 149 00:07:50,025 --> 00:07:51,945 political opposition isn't new. 150 00:07:52,005 --> 00:07:52,365 Nope. 151 00:07:52,605 --> 00:07:57,915 But the scale, ah, and sophistication of Pegasus represents a quantum 152 00:07:57,915 --> 00:08:02,055 leap in the ability to monitor and even control populations. 153 00:08:02,775 --> 00:08:06,165 The East German Stassi built the most comprehensive surveillance 154 00:08:06,165 --> 00:08:10,725 state in history with one in three citizens serving as informants. 155 00:08:11,055 --> 00:08:16,185 But back then, even the Stassi needed human agents, physical surveillance, and 156 00:08:16,185 --> 00:08:21,855 massive bureaucratic infrastructure to handle this Pegasus well, Pegasus does 157 00:08:21,860 --> 00:08:23,985 what the Stassi could only dream of. 158 00:08:24,375 --> 00:08:27,825 Total surveillance that's automated, invisible, and 159 00:08:27,825 --> 00:08:30,220 scalable to millions of targets. 160 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:34,230 Have you studied how surveillance states operate throughout history? 161 00:08:35,370 --> 00:08:36,660 The pattern is always the same. 162 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:40,740 Identify threats, monitor their communications, gather intelligence 163 00:08:40,740 --> 00:08:43,170 on their activities, then eliminate them through legal, 164 00:08:43,170 --> 00:08:44,940 social, or even physical means. 165 00:08:45,330 --> 00:08:50,280 Pegasus just makes this process faster, cheaper, and far more effective. 166 00:08:50,940 --> 00:08:56,100 The FBI's COINTELPRO operations in the 1960s and seventies used surveillance 167 00:08:56,340 --> 00:09:00,180 infiltration and disruption to destroy civil rights organizations 168 00:09:00,210 --> 00:09:01,950 and the anti-war movements. 169 00:09:02,310 --> 00:09:06,360 But cointelpro, like the Stasi, required massive human resources, 170 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:09,450 physical surveillance, and even the risk of exposure. 171 00:09:09,660 --> 00:09:13,650 Meanwhile, Pegasus eliminates all of those limitations. 172 00:09:14,340 --> 00:09:17,490 The Soviet KGB pioneered many of the surveillance techniques 173 00:09:17,490 --> 00:09:19,810 that modern intelligence agencies still use to this day. 174 00:09:20,550 --> 00:09:24,450 But KGB operations were limited by technology, limited by geography, 175 00:09:24,510 --> 00:09:26,190 and limited by human resources. 176 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:28,860 Pegasus transcends all of those limitations. 177 00:09:28,860 --> 00:09:29,130 Yep. 178 00:09:29,130 --> 00:09:30,240 Just jumps over them. 179 00:09:30,390 --> 00:09:35,670 In a single bound, it can monitor anyone, anywhere, anytime without 180 00:09:35,670 --> 00:09:38,070 human agents or any physical presence. 181 00:09:38,790 --> 00:09:42,390 What makes Pegasus historically unprecedented is how it combines the 182 00:09:42,390 --> 00:09:46,890 reach of mass surveillance with the precision of elite targeted operations. 183 00:09:47,100 --> 00:09:50,430 Previous surveillance systems had to choose between watching everyone 184 00:09:50,430 --> 00:09:53,010 poorly or watching just a few people. 185 00:09:53,010 --> 00:09:53,880 Very well. 186 00:09:54,180 --> 00:09:57,990 Pegasus can watch specific individuals with complete thoroughness while 187 00:09:57,990 --> 00:09:59,435 remaining completely invisible. 188 00:10:00,420 --> 00:10:03,089 The privatization of surveillance technology represents yet 189 00:10:03,089 --> 00:10:04,560 another historical shift. 190 00:10:04,829 --> 00:10:07,800 When surveillance capabilities were limited to government agencies, 191 00:10:07,980 --> 00:10:10,829 there was at least theoretical oversight and accountability. 192 00:10:11,219 --> 00:10:11,459 Huh? 193 00:10:11,699 --> 00:10:17,699 But when those same capabilities are sold by private companies to any government 194 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:24,000 with enough cash, even the appearance of oversight disappears, and that 195 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:26,670 accountability just becomes impossible. 196 00:10:27,345 --> 00:10:31,695 Then there is the global nature of Pegasus operations, which means 197 00:10:31,695 --> 00:10:35,385 that surveillance is no longer limited by national boundaries. 198 00:10:35,775 --> 00:10:40,605 A journalist in Mexico can be monitored by technology sold by an Israeli 199 00:10:40,605 --> 00:10:42,705 company to the Mexican government. 200 00:10:43,035 --> 00:10:46,245 An activist in India can be tracked using software developed in Tel Aviv 201 00:10:46,305 --> 00:10:47,865 and deployed from servers in Europe. 202 00:10:48,525 --> 00:10:52,335 This creates a surveillance ecosystem that operates beyond the reach of any single 203 00:10:52,335 --> 00:10:54,405 country's laws or oversight mechanisms. 204 00:10:55,035 --> 00:10:58,395 The technology transcends borders, but the accountability 205 00:10:58,395 --> 00:10:59,655 remains trapped within them. 206 00:11:00,555 --> 00:11:03,614 Let me show you the recurring mechanisms of surveillance technology 207 00:11:03,854 --> 00:11:07,724 and how Pegasus represents the perfection of the very techniques 208 00:11:07,724 --> 00:11:09,494 that have been developing for decades. 209 00:11:10,155 --> 00:11:13,604 The pattern always begins with surveillance technology being 210 00:11:13,635 --> 00:11:18,314 developed for quote unquote legitimate security purposes, like fighting, 211 00:11:18,314 --> 00:11:22,185 terrorism, preventing crime, and protecting national security. 212 00:11:22,575 --> 00:11:26,835 Pegasus was originally marketed as a tool for law enforcement to 213 00:11:26,835 --> 00:11:28,425 track criminals and terrorists. 214 00:11:28,665 --> 00:11:29,295 Sounds fair. 215 00:11:29,295 --> 00:11:29,595 Right? 216 00:11:30,135 --> 00:11:34,455 But surveillance technology like this never stays limited to 217 00:11:34,455 --> 00:11:37,515 its original purpose, does it? 218 00:11:38,145 --> 00:11:41,835 I've watched this same expansion in corporate settings where monitoring 219 00:11:41,835 --> 00:11:46,035 tools introduced for productivity measurement inevitably get used for 220 00:11:46,035 --> 00:11:49,035 employee control and or even elimination. 221 00:11:49,395 --> 00:11:51,975 The same dynamic applies to government surveillance. 222 00:11:52,245 --> 00:11:56,835 Tools introduced for security always seem to expand into political control tools. 223 00:11:57,525 --> 00:12:01,035 Then there's the targeting which follows predictable patterns that reveal the 224 00:12:01,035 --> 00:12:03,225 true purpose of surveillance technology. 225 00:12:03,495 --> 00:12:07,335 If Pegasus were really about fighting terrorism and crime, it would be used 226 00:12:07,335 --> 00:12:08,685 against terrorists and criminals. 227 00:12:09,105 --> 00:12:09,495 Right? 228 00:12:09,945 --> 00:12:10,260 Of course. 229 00:12:11,025 --> 00:12:15,855 Instead, it seemed to be consistently used against journalists, activists, 230 00:12:16,095 --> 00:12:20,475 lawyers, and even political opponents, all people who threaten power through 231 00:12:20,475 --> 00:12:22,665 information, not through violence. 232 00:12:23,295 --> 00:12:26,715 The privatization of surveillance creates a market dynamic that 233 00:12:26,715 --> 00:12:29,505 incentivizes expansion and abuse. 234 00:12:29,865 --> 00:12:32,985 When surveillance technology is sold by private companies, the goal 235 00:12:32,985 --> 00:12:37,120 becomes maximizing sales, certainly not protecting civil liberties. 236 00:12:37,665 --> 00:12:42,735 NSO group profits from selling Pegasus to as many customers IE governments 237 00:12:42,885 --> 00:12:47,055 as possible, regardless of how those governments plan to ultimately use it. 238 00:12:47,925 --> 00:12:50,295 The international nature of surveillance technology creates 239 00:12:50,295 --> 00:12:53,685 additional accountability gaps that protect both the companies that sell 240 00:12:53,685 --> 00:12:55,905 it and the governments that use it. 241 00:12:56,265 --> 00:12:59,205 When an Israeli company sells surveillance technology to a Mexican 242 00:12:59,205 --> 00:13:02,865 government that uses it against Mexican journalists, which country's laws apply? 243 00:13:03,195 --> 00:13:03,465 Hmm. 244 00:13:04,125 --> 00:13:06,645 Well, the correct answer is often none of them. 245 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:11,520 The invisibility of modern surveillance technology eliminates the deterrent effect 246 00:13:11,700 --> 00:13:13,590 that visible surveillance once provided. 247 00:13:14,010 --> 00:13:16,890 When people knew they were being watched, they could modify 248 00:13:16,890 --> 00:13:18,180 their behavior accordingly. 249 00:13:18,540 --> 00:13:21,600 When surveillance is invisible, people can't protect themselves because 250 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:22,920 they don't even know their targets. 251 00:13:23,550 --> 00:13:28,080 The most insidious pattern in all this is how surveillance technology 252 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:33,900 creates self-censorship without ever requiring actual real enforcement. 253 00:13:34,290 --> 00:13:38,280 When journalists know that their communications might be monitored, they 254 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:40,469 stop investigating certain stories. 255 00:13:40,859 --> 00:13:44,189 When activists know their phones might be compromised, they stop 256 00:13:44,189 --> 00:13:45,719 organizing certain activities. 257 00:13:45,989 --> 00:13:48,060 The surveillance doesn't even need to be used. 258 00:13:48,270 --> 00:13:53,400 The knowledge that it exists is enough in many cases to change behavior. 259 00:13:54,045 --> 00:13:57,915 The integration of surveillance technology with assassination and 260 00:13:57,915 --> 00:14:02,745 elimination operations represents the ultimate evolution of political control. 261 00:14:03,045 --> 00:14:05,625 Pegasus isn't just used to gather intelligence. 262 00:14:05,715 --> 00:14:10,395 It's used to plan and execute operations against the people being surveilled. 263 00:14:10,815 --> 00:14:15,075 The technology becomes part of a kill chain that starts with surveillance and 264 00:14:15,075 --> 00:14:16,965 ultimately can end with elimination. 265 00:14:17,550 --> 00:14:19,860 The pattern reveals that surveillance technology like 266 00:14:19,860 --> 00:14:22,290 Pegasus isn't really about security. 267 00:14:22,530 --> 00:14:24,870 It's ultimately just about control. 268 00:14:25,170 --> 00:14:27,270 It's not about protecting society. 269 00:14:27,420 --> 00:14:27,780 Nope. 270 00:14:27,810 --> 00:14:31,680 It's about protecting power, and it's not about fighting crime. 271 00:14:32,190 --> 00:14:35,640 It's about eliminating the opposition in the most effective 272 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:37,230 and efficient way possible. 273 00:14:38,100 --> 00:14:41,310 Now, not everyone has accepted the normalization of total 274 00:14:41,310 --> 00:14:42,165 surveillance like this. 275 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:46,530 Around the world, individuals and organizations have recognized the threat 276 00:14:46,860 --> 00:14:51,450 that programs like Pegasus represent and have chosen resistance over resignation. 277 00:14:52,110 --> 00:14:54,780 Some countries have banned or restricted the use of surveillance 278 00:14:54,780 --> 00:14:58,560 technology like Pegasus, recognizing that the threat to civil liberties 279 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:00,480 outweighs any security benefits. 280 00:15:00,870 --> 00:15:04,950 They understand that a technology that can be used against anyone can 281 00:15:04,950 --> 00:15:06,330 eventually be used against everyone. 282 00:15:07,260 --> 00:15:11,040 The Pegasus Project, a consortium of international journalists exposed the 283 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:13,260 global scope of NSO group's operations. 284 00:15:13,260 --> 00:15:17,130 Despite facing the very surveillance they were investigating, their work 285 00:15:17,130 --> 00:15:21,360 revealed that the threat to press freedom posed by Pegasus is existential. 286 00:15:21,570 --> 00:15:24,720 When journalists can be completely monitored, investigative 287 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:25,770 journalism becomes, IM. 288 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:30,959 Some people have changed their communication habits, their technology 289 00:15:30,959 --> 00:15:35,699 choices, and their operational security practices because they understand 290 00:15:35,699 --> 00:15:39,030 that digital surveillance has reached a level that makes traditional 291 00:15:39,030 --> 00:15:40,770 privacy protections obsolete. 292 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:45,209 Cybersecurity researchers have reverse engineered Pegasus to understand how 293 00:15:45,209 --> 00:15:47,280 it works and how it might be detected. 294 00:15:47,550 --> 00:15:51,390 Their work provides the technical foundation for defending against such 295 00:15:51,390 --> 00:15:55,770 surveillance technology, even when that defense is difficult and imperfect. 296 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:59,520 Some technology companies have improved their security practices in 297 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:03,180 response to the Pegasus revelations, recognizing that their platforms are 298 00:16:03,180 --> 00:16:05,160 being weaponized against their users. 299 00:16:05,579 --> 00:16:09,300 While perfect security may be impossible, better security can at least make 300 00:16:09,300 --> 00:16:11,520 surveillance more difficult and expensive. 301 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:15,660 Legal advocates have challenged the use of such surveillance technology and 302 00:16:15,660 --> 00:16:19,170 courts around the world arguing that the right to privacy is fundamental, 303 00:16:19,319 --> 00:16:22,589 and that technologies like Pegasus violate these basic human rights. 304 00:16:22,980 --> 00:16:27,329 Their work faces enormous obstacles, but it establishes legal precedence for 305 00:16:27,329 --> 00:16:29,880 protecting privacy in the digital age. 306 00:16:30,569 --> 00:16:34,740 Civil liberties organizations have documented the use of Pegasus against 307 00:16:34,740 --> 00:16:38,970 journalists, activists, and dissidents, creating a public record of how 308 00:16:38,970 --> 00:16:42,480 surveillance technology is actually used versus how it's supposed to be used. 309 00:16:42,810 --> 00:16:46,319 Their work reveals the gap between the marketing claims and 310 00:16:46,319 --> 00:16:48,900 the actual operational reality. 311 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:52,020 The most important resistance comes from people. 312 00:16:52,365 --> 00:16:57,795 Like you and me who understand that total surveillance is incompatible with basic 313 00:16:57,795 --> 00:17:02,925 human freedom and who continue to refuse to accept that privacy is obsolete. 314 00:17:03,135 --> 00:17:08,835 Just because technology makes surveillance possible, US outliers demonstrate that the 315 00:17:08,835 --> 00:17:13,515 surveillance state enabled by technologies like Pegasus isn't inevitable. 316 00:17:13,845 --> 00:17:18,465 Every person who maintains operational security, every organization that 317 00:17:18,465 --> 00:17:20,025 documents surveillance abuse. 318 00:17:20,399 --> 00:17:25,500 Every country that restricts surveillance technology helps preserve the possibility 319 00:17:25,500 --> 00:17:28,349 of privacy and freedom in the digital age. 320 00:17:30,300 --> 00:17:33,899 I can already hear some of you saying, okay, so what? 321 00:17:34,860 --> 00:17:38,580 Well, I think that understanding the capabilities of Pegasus and similar 322 00:17:38,730 --> 00:17:41,939 surveillance technologies should change everything about how you think 323 00:17:41,939 --> 00:17:45,960 about digital privacy, communication, security, and the relationship 324 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:47,370 between technology and your freedom. 325 00:17:48,150 --> 00:17:50,940 Every smartphone becomes a potential surveillance device. 326 00:17:51,030 --> 00:17:55,560 When you understand that zero click exploits can compromise any device 327 00:17:55,650 --> 00:18:00,090 without your knowledge or action, the convenience of your always connected 328 00:18:00,090 --> 00:18:04,620 devices comes with the risk of that always on surveillance that you can't 329 00:18:04,620 --> 00:18:07,050 detect or currently can't even prevent. 330 00:18:07,815 --> 00:18:11,235 The phrase, if you have nothing to hide, really becomes meaningless when you 331 00:18:11,235 --> 00:18:15,585 understand that surveillance technology like Pegasus is used primarily against 332 00:18:15,585 --> 00:18:17,355 people who are doing nothing wrong. 333 00:18:17,655 --> 00:18:23,115 Journalists, activists, lawyers, and political opponents whose only crime is 334 00:18:23,115 --> 00:18:24,825 threatening power through information. 335 00:18:26,024 --> 00:18:29,235 Encrypted communication takes on new significance when you realize 336 00:18:29,235 --> 00:18:33,195 that Pegasus can read encrypted messages by compromising the 337 00:18:33,195 --> 00:18:35,294 devices that send and receive them. 338 00:18:35,625 --> 00:18:39,435 Encryption only protects data while in transit, but it can't protect 339 00:18:39,435 --> 00:18:41,085 data on compromised devices. 340 00:18:41,745 --> 00:18:44,635 The importance of operational security increases dramatically when you 341 00:18:44,635 --> 00:18:48,555 understand that traditional privacy protections are inadequate against 342 00:18:48,555 --> 00:18:51,225 military grade surveillance technology. 343 00:18:51,540 --> 00:18:55,080 Protecting yourself from Pegasus level surveillance requires 344 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:59,490 changing not just your technology choices, but your entire approach to 345 00:18:59,490 --> 00:19:01,770 communication and information security. 346 00:19:01,770 --> 00:19:06,180 Overall, international travel becomes a security risk when you realize 347 00:19:06,180 --> 00:19:10,320 that crossing borders with electronic devices means potentially exposing 348 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,980 yourself to surveillance technology deployed by foreign governments. 349 00:19:14,399 --> 00:19:18,810 Your phone becomes a liability that can compromise not just you, but 350 00:19:18,810 --> 00:19:20,399 everyone else that you communicate with. 351 00:19:21,165 --> 00:19:25,514 The value of good old analog alternatives increases as digital communication 352 00:19:25,514 --> 00:19:27,315 becomes more and more compromised. 353 00:19:27,645 --> 00:19:31,575 Face-to-face meetings, written notes, and other non-digital communication 354 00:19:31,575 --> 00:19:34,695 methods become essential for anyone who needs to communicate privately. 355 00:19:35,325 --> 00:19:38,055 Most importantly, you realize that the surveillance capabilities that 356 00:19:38,055 --> 00:19:41,595 exist today represent a fundamental threat to human freedom that goes 357 00:19:41,595 --> 00:19:43,274 beyond individual privacy concerns. 358 00:19:43,889 --> 00:19:46,710 When anyone can be completely monitored without their knowledge, the 359 00:19:46,710 --> 00:19:51,210 possibility of dissent, investigation and political opposition disappears. 360 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:55,649 Look, the goal here isn't to become paranoid about technology 361 00:19:56,100 --> 00:19:59,910 or to retreat from the digital communication landscape entirely. 362 00:20:00,270 --> 00:20:00,600 Nope. 363 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:05,310 The goal is to understand the risks so you can make informed choices 364 00:20:05,310 --> 00:20:09,660 about technology use and recognize that privacy and freedom require 365 00:20:09,660 --> 00:20:12,060 active protection in this digital age. 366 00:20:13,725 --> 00:20:16,125 They turned your phone into the most sophisticated surveillance 367 00:20:16,125 --> 00:20:19,245 device ever created and convinced you to pay for it yourself. 368 00:20:19,605 --> 00:20:24,225 They made total surveillance, invisible, automated, and even profitable. 369 00:20:24,555 --> 00:20:28,275 They created a world where privacy doesn't exist, and they 370 00:20:28,275 --> 00:20:29,835 got you to call it progress. 371 00:20:30,525 --> 00:20:33,975 I've traced this story from corporate boardrooms to intelligence 372 00:20:33,975 --> 00:20:37,635 agencies, from technology companies to assassination plots. 373 00:20:37,995 --> 00:20:41,895 The digital leash isn't metaphorical, it's operational. 374 00:20:42,225 --> 00:20:44,325 It's already around your neck. 375 00:20:44,985 --> 00:20:47,805 Pegasus represents the perfection of surveillance technology. 376 00:20:48,135 --> 00:20:50,955 Zero click exploits that require no action from you. 377 00:20:51,225 --> 00:20:53,355 Invisible monitoring that leaves no trace. 378 00:20:53,534 --> 00:20:56,085 Complete access to every aspect of your digital life. 379 00:20:56,475 --> 00:21:02,774 The ability to turn your most personal device into a weapon and turn it 380 00:21:02,774 --> 00:21:06,315 against you, but it's not just the technology that's terrifying. 381 00:21:06,735 --> 00:21:08,025 It's who has access to it? 382 00:21:08,535 --> 00:21:13,125 Authoritarian regimes that murder journalists, democratic governments 383 00:21:13,215 --> 00:21:18,285 that spy on their own citizens, private companies that sell surveillance 384 00:21:18,465 --> 00:21:20,235 to anyone with enough cash. 385 00:21:20,595 --> 00:21:23,355 The technology that was supposed to protect us from terrorists 386 00:21:23,355 --> 00:21:24,945 is being used by terrorists. 387 00:21:25,425 --> 00:21:27,675 Um, they just happen to have government badges. 388 00:21:28,380 --> 00:21:32,970 Jamal Khashoggi Associates were monitored with Pegasus before he was murdered. 389 00:21:33,180 --> 00:21:36,480 Journalists investigating corruption have been tracked and eliminated. 390 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:41,250 Activists organizing resistance have been identified and disappeared. 391 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:44,670 The technology doesn't just violate privacy. 392 00:21:44,940 --> 00:21:47,040 It effectively enables assassination. 393 00:21:47,610 --> 00:21:51,990 Your phone isn't just a communication device, it's a surveillance device that 394 00:21:51,990 --> 00:21:56,580 can be turned against you by anyone with the right access and the wrong intentions. 395 00:21:56,985 --> 00:21:59,985 Every text message, every phone call, every photo, and every 396 00:21:59,985 --> 00:22:05,145 location, all of it can be monitored, recorded, and used against you. 397 00:22:05,835 --> 00:22:08,715 But here's what they can't monitor your awareness. 398 00:22:08,895 --> 00:22:12,375 Once you understand that total surveillance is operational, 399 00:22:12,585 --> 00:22:14,205 you can't be surprised by it. 400 00:22:14,505 --> 00:22:17,925 Once you recognize that your phone is a potential weapon against you, you can 401 00:22:17,925 --> 00:22:20,295 make informed choices about how to use it. 402 00:22:21,030 --> 00:22:25,590 The official story is that surveillance technology like Pegasus is used to fight 403 00:22:25,590 --> 00:22:27,840 terrorism and protect national security. 404 00:22:28,139 --> 00:22:31,620 The real story is that it's used to eliminate journalists, activists, 405 00:22:31,830 --> 00:22:34,770 and anyone else who threatens power through the power of information. 406 00:22:35,340 --> 00:22:37,230 The digital leash is real. 407 00:22:37,530 --> 00:22:42,330 It's invisible, and it's already connected to the device in your pocket. 408 00:22:42,659 --> 00:22:46,020 The question is, are you ready to recognize the leash or will you 409 00:22:46,020 --> 00:22:47,580 keep pretending it's just a phone? 410 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:51,060 When the device in your pocket becomes a window into your soul, 411 00:22:51,330 --> 00:22:53,730 privacy becomes a revolutionary act. 412 00:22:54,030 --> 00:22:57,150 The question is, are you ready to be a revolutionary? 413 00:22:58,844 --> 00:23:00,074 Tracy out 414 00:23:00,465 --> 00:23:02,564 if this story didn't sit right with you. 415 00:23:02,985 --> 00:23:03,344 Good. 416 00:23:03,855 --> 00:23:05,294 You are not here to be comforted. 417 00:23:05,715 --> 00:23:08,235 You are here to see what others overlook. 418 00:23:08,625 --> 00:23:11,175 Thanks for exploring some unapproved thinking. 419 00:23:11,685 --> 00:23:15,074 Learn more@someunapprovedthinking.com. 420 00:23:15,615 --> 00:23:16,514 New episodes, drop weekly. 421 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:23,594 Subscribe, share, and keep questioning because the pattern's still playing out. 422 00:23:24,014 --> 00:23:26,054 And next time we're going deeper.