Introduction: A New Era of Techno-Authoritarianism
A groundbreaking report released Thursday by Amnesty International has unveiled the inner workings of an expansive and sophisticated surveillance state in Morocco. Relying on the testimony of a courageous insider from within the country’s intelligence apparatus, the report details how the Moroccan government has systematically weaponized advanced technology to stifle dissent, intimidate journalists, and silence human rights defenders.
According to the testimony, the Direction Générale de la Surveillance du Territoire (DGST)—the kingdom’s domestic intelligence agency—has transitioned from traditional intelligence gathering to a policy of "techno-authoritarianism." By deploying invasive spyware, physical surveillance, and coordinated character assassination campaigns, the state has effectively turned the private lives of its critics into instruments of political control.
Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, did not mince words regarding the severity of the findings. "Morocco has wholly embraced techno-authoritarian practices," she stated. "They have acquired a wide range of surveillance technologies to establish and enable a repressive system specifically designed to instill fear among human rights activists and journalists, silence their voices, and obstruct their work inside and outside Morocco."
The Anatomy of the Surveillance State
The core of the revelation centers on the integration of the Israeli-developed "Pegasus" spyware into the daily operations of the DGST. Unlike standard monitoring tools, Pegasus is a "zero-click" spyware, meaning it can infect a target’s smartphone without the user ever interacting with a malicious link or file.
How the Pegasus Net Operates
The whistleblower testimony confirms that the DGST began deploying Pegasus around 2017. Once a device is compromised, the intelligence agency gains near-total control over the target’s digital life. This includes:
- Real-time geolocation: Tracking the daily routines, travel patterns, and private movements of targets.
- Communication interception: Recording calls, intercepting encrypted messages, and reading emails.
- Data Harvesting: Remotely accessing photos, contact lists, and private files stored on the device.
Beyond the digital realm, the whistleblower described a physical surveillance infrastructure that is equally chilling. Targets were reportedly tracked across the country, with agents monitoring their activities in coffee shops, private offices, and even during transit through Moroccan airports. The report notes that in some instances, local mobile phone shops were allegedly coerced by the DGST to sell devices that were pre-infected with spyware, ensuring that activists were compromised the moment they activated their phones.
Chronology of Escalation: From Monitoring to Smear Campaigns
The systematic targeting of dissent in Morocco has not been a sudden development but rather a calculated evolution of state policy.
- 2017: The reported introduction of Pegasus spyware into the DGST’s operational toolkit, marking a shift toward high-tech, persistent monitoring.
- 2019-2021: The "Pegasus Project" investigation gains momentum, exposing how multiple nations used the spyware to target journalists. Amnesty International begins forensic analysis of devices belonging to Moroccan human rights defenders, confirming the presence of the software.
- 2022: Human Rights Watch publishes "They’ll Get You No Matter What," highlighting the state’s reliance on "smear campaigns" that leverage unlawfully obtained surveillance footage to criminalize personal lives.
- 2023: The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace documents the deteriorating human rights situation, specifically highlighting the case of former human rights minister Mohamed Ziane, who faced prosecution after a defamation campaign.
- 2025: Intense international pressure mounts regarding the imprisonment of journalists on charges linked to social media content, further highlighting the state’s intolerance for online discourse.
- 2026 (October): A high-level whistleblower provides direct confirmation of the DGST’s role in the surveillance infrastructure, confirming years of forensic suspicion and providing a look inside the agency’s strategic goals.
The Weaponization of Morality: Character Assassination
One of the most insidious aspects of the Moroccan surveillance apparatus is the use of private information to destroy the social and professional standing of dissidents.
Under Article 490 of the Moroccan Penal Code, non-marital sexual relations are criminalized. Intelligence services have allegedly utilized footage captured by hidden cameras in hotel rooms, private homes, and vehicles to blackmail or discredit activists. By framing these individuals as having committed "moral" crimes, the state manages to shift the public narrative away from the activists’ legitimate political grievances and toward scandalous, often fabricated, personal histories.
This strategy was clearly visible in the case of Mohamed Ziane. After his vocal opposition to the royal palace, a defamation campaign was launched against him. The subsequent legal proceedings relied heavily on video statements and footage that appeared to be the product of the state’s surveillance network. Ziane was ultimately sentenced to three years in prison on charges including "contempt of public officials," a verdict widely criticized by international observers as a pretext for silencing a high-profile critic.
Supporting Data and International Legal Standards
The activities described by the whistleblower and confirmed by Amnesty’s forensics team represent a flagrant violation of international law. Specifically, Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) stipulates that "no one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence."
The Forensic Evidence
Amnesty International’s Security Lab conducted extensive forensic analysis on devices belonging to individuals whose phone numbers appeared on the "Pegasus Project" list. The discovery of traces of the spyware on these devices provided irrefutable proof that the targeting was not merely a threat, but an active, ongoing reality. The combination of this digital evidence with the whistleblower’s firsthand account of the DGST’s internal workflow creates a robust case that the surveillance was a state-sanctioned initiative rather than the work of rogue agents.
Implications for Freedom of Expression
The broader implications of this report are grim. When the state possesses the capability to peer into the private lives of its citizens at will, the "chilling effect" on society is profound.
A Climate of Fear
Human rights monitors, including the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, have warned that the absence of legal safeguards against the abuse of surveillance technology has effectively dismantled the space for free speech in Morocco. Journalists now operate under the constant threat that their communications are being monitored, their meetings are being recorded, and their personal lives are being harvested for potential use in future smear campaigns.
This environment has forced many activists into self-censorship, as the cost of speaking out against the government—or even appearing in the same social circles as dissidents—has become prohibitively high. The state’s ability to monitor movement through airports and public spaces suggests that there is, quite literally, nowhere to hide for those deemed "enemies of the state."
Conclusion: The Call for Accountability
The revelation of the DGST’s surveillance infrastructure places the Moroccan government at a critical juncture. The international community, which has previously maintained a strategic silence on many of these issues due to geopolitical considerations, is now faced with detailed evidence of state-sponsored abuse that violates fundamental human rights.
As Amnesty International and other advocacy groups continue to push for transparency, the focus will likely shift toward the international companies that provide these surveillance tools. The reliance on foreign-developed spyware like Pegasus highlights the need for stricter export controls and a global regulatory framework that prevents high-tech tools from being sold to regimes that use them to dismantle civil society.
For the people of Morocco, the road ahead is difficult. The whistleblower’s testimony has illuminated the dark corners of the state’s intelligence operations, but dismantling such a deeply entrenched apparatus of control will require more than just public exposure. It will require a fundamental shift in the government’s approach to privacy, dissent, and the rule of law—a change that currently appears elusive in the face of a state that has prioritized control over the fundamental rights of its citizens.
