FSB Accused of Planting Monokle-Like Spyware on Russian Programmer's Android Phone in Ukraine

Dec 5, 2024, 11:16 AM

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has been accused of planting advanced spyware on the Android phone of a Russian programmer, who has been living in Ukraine for years, according to a joint investigation by Citizen Lab and the Russian legal rights group Perviy Otdel. The programmer was detained by FSB agents, questioned, and his phone was confiscated. Upon its return, the device was found to have been infected with a Monokle-like spyware, which can track the device's location, record phone calls, keystrokes, and more. This incident marks the first known case of the FSB using such sophisticated surveillance tools against an anti-war activist.