EDRi launches new resource to document abuses and support a full ban on spyware in Europe

The context: Europe’s spyware crisis remains unresolved

Spyware remains one of the most serious threats to fundamental rights, democracy, and civic space in Europe. Over the past years, repeated investigations have shown that at least 14 EU Member States have deployed spyware against journalists, human rights defenders, lawyers, activists, political opponents, and others. These cases have revealed the reality of an opaque, dangerous market that thrives on exploiting vulnerabilities and endangering us, and the States’ reluctance to provide any accountability or justice for victims.

Despite the findings of the European Parliament’s PEGA Inquiry Committee in 2023, and the push from human rights organisations, the European Commission has so far refused to propose binding legislation to prohibit spyware. Not only that: it has done nothing. Right now, no EU-wide red lines exist against the use of spyware. This means that victims lack effective remedies, authorities face no scrutiny, and commercial spyware vendors continue to operate with near-total impunity, enriching themselves by violating human rights, and even benefiting from European public funding.

At the same time, this political inaction is increasingly being challenged. Investigative journalists, researchers, and civil society organisations have continued to expose spyware’s human impacts, and the opaque markets behind its development and deployment. A broad coalition of civil society and journalism organisations has openly called on EU institutions to end their inaction and to adopt a full ban on commercial spyware. Adding to this push, EDRi has also adopted a comprehensive position paper calling for a full ban on spyware in the European Union as the only possible path forward from a human rights perspective.

Our collective refusal to accept the normalisation of the use of spyware is also visible inside the European Parliament. On 21 January 2026 in Strasbourg, an informal Interest Group against spyware was launched, bringing together MEPs from across political groups with the aim of maintaining scrutiny and challenging the Commission’s inaction. While this does not replace legislative action, it signals that political pressure is growing, instead of fading.

Why a spyware document pool?

It is in this context that EDRi has launched a document pool: a central, publicly accessible space that brings together EDRi’s analysis, advocacy, and research, alongside carefully selected external resources.

The goal is twofold.

First, it serves to bring together the collective work that EDRi and its members are doing on spyware. All our analysis, advocacy, and research will be in one place, making it easier to access, use, and reference over time.

Second, it functions as a comprehensive and accessible repository on spyware for both newcomers and experts. Information on spyware scandals is usually fragmented across countries, court cases, journalistic pieces, reports, technical research, etc. and it can be difficult to locate or navigate.

The document pool addresses this by bringing together:

• Clear and simple explanations of what spyware is and why it should be banned,
• Reports, investigations and research from investigative journalists and civil society organisations.
• Human rights assessments by NGOs
• Official documents from EU and international bodies
• Country cases reporting on spyware scandals across Europe

Explore the spyware document pool

What comes next

The launch of the spyware document pool is part of EDRi’s broader effort to sustain pressure for meaningful EU action on the topic. As political attention returns to spyware in the European Parliament, access to evidence becomes more relevant than ever.

EDRi will continue to engage with policymakers, support journalists and researchers, and advocate for a full EU-wide ban on spyware. The document pool will serve as a shared resource for those efforts, helping ensure that debates on spyware are grounded in facts, rights, and accountability, rather than in secrecy and securitisation narratives.

Disclaimer: this is a living page that will be updated periodically. If you want specific resources to be featured in the document pool, please share with us!