| A note from executive editor Sally Buzbee  (Washington Post Staff) | Today we are joining news organizations across the globe to bring you an important story about the use of spyware against human rights activists, business executives, heads of state, royal families, government officials, politicians and journalists in more than 50 countries. Digital surveillance pervades our society, and new technologies offer more power than ever to track every aspect of our daily lives. The danger of abuse has never been greater. In most countries, there are no effective rules or standards limiting private companies that sell surveillance technology to governments or others. That is why we have devoted extraordinary resources to joining the Pegasus Project. This collaborative investigation focuses on Pegasus spyware. A software meant to be targeted at criminals — drug dealers, terrorists, pedophiles — not ordinary citizens. There is a great deal of information to share about this investigation, which is why we are bringing it to you in concise parts. I recommend starting with our first story, which highlights the worldwide scope of what we uncovered. The other stories published today will answer your questions about the complexities of the technology and give you a deeper look at who is being targeted. Additional parts of the project will publish throughout the week and we will be adding them to a dedicated landing page summarizing the key takeaways. More than 80 journalists from 17 media organizations, including The Washington Post, partnered on this investigation. The journalists spent months reporting and interviewing on four continents. The project was conceived by Forbidden Stories, a Paris-based journalism nonprofit, which, along with Amnesty International, a human rights group, had access to records that formed the basis of our reporting. | Your support is essential Without subscribers, we wouldn't be able to bring you this groundbreaking reporting. | | | | 
