Amnesty International has reported a significant breach involving Teixeira Candido, a prominent Angolan journalist and human rights activist, whose phone was hacked in 2024 by the invasive spyware known as 'Predator'. This incident marked the first criminal confirmation of the spyware's use in Angola, raising alarm about digital security in the country. The organization highlighted that 'Predator' is particularly dangerous, developed and sold by the group Intellipax specifically for governmental use against targeted individuals.

The targeting of Candido appears to be part of a wider investigation into digital threats in Angola in 2025, and it is suspected to be part of a larger campaign of espionage within the country. According to Amnesty International, between April and June 2024, Candido received WhatsApp messages from an unidentified Angolan number pretending to be a student interested in public affairs, which led to the dissemination of malicious links that seemed to contain news material. It is reported that Candido opened one of these links on May 4, allowing the spyware access to his phone and consequently providing the attackers with 'unrestricted access' to his device.

The security lab affiliated with Amnesty documented communications linked to 'Predator' on the day of the breach and connected it to known infection domains, confirming the sophistication and calculated nature of the attack. This incident not only underscores the risks facing journalists and activists in Angola and similar regions where digital rights are increasingly at risk but also emphasizes the urgent need for protective measure against such intrusive surveillance methods.