Serbian authorities have been accused of using advanced spyware to surveil journalists and activists, according to a report by Amnesty International.
Police and intelligence services are allegedly deploying Cellebrite’s forensic tools and a new Android spyware, NoviSpy, to illegally extract personal data and monitor communications. NoviSpy, though less advanced than Pegasus, enables remote access to microphones, cameras, and sensitive information, Amnesty says.
Dinushka Dissanayake from Amnesty described the surveillance as a “tool of repression” aimed at civil society. Activists targeted by the spyware reported feeling deeply violated, with one individual calling it “paralysing” to know that private conversations could be weaponised against them.
Amnesty claims spyware infections occurred during police interviews and raised alarms with Google, which removed NoviSpy from affected devices. Google also sent warnings to potential targets.
Cellebrite and Serbian authorities did not respond to requests for comment.
