"In short, Pegasus is commercial spyware. Unlike the malware used by cybercriminals to make money by stealing from and cheating their victims, Pegasus is designed solely for spying. Once it has secretly infected a smartphone (Android or iOS), it can turn it into a fully-fledged surveillance device. SMS messages, emails, WhatsApp messages, iMessages, and more, are all open for reading and copying. It can record incoming and outgoing calls, as well as steal all the photos on the device. Plus it can activate the microphone and/or the camera and record what is being said. When you combine that with the potential to access past and present location data, it is clear that those listening at the other end know almost everything there is to know about anyone that is targeted."