# Hungary: investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi's phone is infected with Pegasus spyware

Published 2026-09-23. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 3 sources.

Status: in effect, as of 2026-09-22.

What we don't know: The source reviewed does not state which specific stories Panyi was working on when the spyware was placed on his phone.

Amnesty International found forensic traces of Pegasus spyware on the phone of Direkt36 investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi, who covers Hungarian national security and diplomacy, as part of the wider Pegasus Project investigation.[1][2][3]

- Country: [Hungary](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/hu) (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180)
- Where: Hungary
- Level of government: National
- Tactic: Surveillance and subpoenas
- Stage: Punish (ladder: https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/surveillance_and_subpoenas#stage-punish)
- Ladder note: A journalist's phone was covertly infected with spyware capable of reading his communications and locating his sources, rather than a subpoena for records already created.
- Head of government at the time: [Viktor Orban](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/viktor-orban)
- Issue of the day: The finding was published as part of the July 2021 Pegasus Project, a collaborative investigation by Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International's Security Lab into governments' use of NSO Group's Pegasus spyware against journalists and civil society figures worldwide.
- Outcome: Ongoing, July 1, 2021. The finding prompted European Union scrutiny of Pegasus use against journalists, but the source reviewed does not report any Hungarian accountability measure.
- Era: The 2020s

## What happened

Amnesty International's Security Lab found forensic traces linked to Pegasus spyware on the phone of Szabolcs Panyi, an investigative reporter for the Hungarian outlet Direkt36 who covers national security, high-level diplomacy and corruption. The finding was published in July 2021 as part of the Pegasus Project, a collaborative investigation led by the nonprofit journalism organization Forbidden Stories with Amnesty International's technical support, examining the use of Pegasus spyware made by Israel's NSO Group against journalists and others in multiple countries, including Hungary. Panyi said in a December 2021 interview that the disclosure had begun to chill his sources, since those who spoke with him now feared what trouble it might bring into their lives, and that he had adopted more cautious reporting habits, including secure messaging applications and in-person meetings held without his phone present.[1][2][3]

The Pegasus Project's findings on Panyi's phone were published in July 2021; the source reviewed does not report any Hungarian government accountability measure.[1][2][3]

## What reason was given

Not stated in the sources reviewed; the Hungarian government did not provide a public justification for the surveillance in the source reviewed.[1][2][3]

## What changed for reporting

An investigative reporter's confidential sources became more reluctant to speak with him once the surveillance became known, and he had to change his reporting practices to protect them.[1][2]

## Timeline

- 2021-07: Hungary: investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi's phone is infected with Pegasus spyware

## Who acted

| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Viktor Orban](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/viktor-orban) | other | Prime Minister of Hungary (through 2026) |

## Outlets and journalists

| Name | Kind | Relation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Direkt36](https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/direkt36) | outlet | affected |
| [Szabolcs Panyi](https://thewaronnews.com/journalists/szabolcs-panyi) | journalist, Direkt36 | affected |

## Sources

1. Hungary's Szabolcs Panyi on how Pegasus surveillance has hindered his reporting. https://cpj.org/2021/12/hungarys-szabolcs-panyi-on-how-pegasus-surveillance-has-hindered-his-reporting/ (Committee to Protect Journalists, 2021-12-13).
2. Pegasus: Spyware sold to governments 'targets activists'. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57881364 (BBC, 2021-07-19).
3. Probe: Journalists, activists among firm's spyware targets. https://www.ap.org/media-center/ap-in-the-news/2021/probe-journalists-activists-among-firms-spyware-targets/ (Associated Press, 2021-07-18).

## Claims cited

[1] Panyi said sources had become afraid of the trouble speaking with him might bring into their lives. Quote: "increasingly afraid of the trouble I might bring into their life" Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2021-12-13. Hungary's Szabolcs Panyi on how Pegasus surveillance has hindered his reporting. https://cpj.org/2021/12/hungarys-szabolcs-panyi-on-how-pegasus-surveillance-has-hindered-his-reporting/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/525, checked 2026-09-22.

[2] Panyi said the disclosure risked a chilling effect on sources that could hinder Hungarian journalists' work over the long run. Quote: "Among Hungarian journalists, the biggest fear now is that this affair will have a chilling effect on sources, and paradoxically this enormous scoop will hinder our work in the long run." Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2021-12-13. Hungary's Szabolcs Panyi on how Pegasus surveillance has hindered his reporting. https://cpj.org/2021/12/hungarys-szabolcs-panyi-on-how-pegasus-surveillance-has-hindered-his-reporting/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/526, checked 2026-09-22.

[3] Amnesty International found forensic traces linked to Pegasus spyware on Panyi's phone. Quote: "Amnesty International reported forensic traces linked to Pegasus on Panyi's phone." Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2021-12-13. Hungary's Szabolcs Panyi on how Pegasus surveillance has hindered his reporting. https://cpj.org/2021/12/hungarys-szabolcs-panyi-on-how-pegasus-surveillance-has-hindered-his-reporting/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/616, checked 2026-09-22.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2021-hungary-panyi-pegasus-spyware. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.