“Since approximately 2012, I have
been followed and literally stalked by
various unpleasant characters
connected to the Kremlin. So I gave
myself a promise that I will never do
anything on the internet that I
wouldn’t have done in front of other
people. So I am not sure what those
behind the Pegasus hacking could
have found on my device — nothing.
I have set very strict boundaries for
my digital and regular life a long time
ago.
If it had happened three or four years ago,
before the [full scale] war [in Ukraine], when
I had people in Russia, journalists for whom I
am responsible, if back then they installed
Pegasus and publicized the communications,
finances, then it would have been a threat to
these journalists. Those behind the attack
would have taken hostages to find out
something about us. And now when we don’t
have anyone on that side of the border, what
could they have possibly read? Statistical
reports? I am proud of them and never hid
the statistics. Financial reporting? Also
everything is transparent. Funding sources?
We do not store crowdfunding data. Editing
of our articles? This is not interesting.
The only thing that I am really
worried about is that those people
whose devices were infected with
Pegasus also sometimes became
targets of physical attacks. So now I
have to look over my shoulder. And if
this was Russia, where any citizen
can be persecuted for cooperating
with 'undesirable organizations,'
then my main fear is how can I
protect other people, our partners?
Because those who targeted me now
have all of my contact list.