spyware
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Will the Brussels spyware scandal finally convince the EU to act?
In February, Brussels was rocked by reports of phone hacking and spyware attacks on members of the European Parliament’s defence and security committee. Such intrusions are a huge threat to EU democracy — interfering with decision-making and allowing obstructive disruptions to public debate. Three weeks on, nothing seems to have changed with the EU’s approach to spyware.
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Press Release: Brussels rocked by major spyware scandal: Urgent call for ban
Now, when push has come to shove, policymakers at the European Union (EU) must act to ban spyware in Europe. Yesterday, the media reported a major attack on EU democracy with members of the European Parliament Defense Committee being the target of phone hacking.
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Challenges ahead: European Media Freedom Act falls short in safeguarding journalists and EU fundamental values
The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) culminated in a politically pressured final trilogue on 15 December 2023. Unfortunately, the agreed-upon text lacks crucial safeguards against surveillance of journalists, which dangerously promote the use of spyware in the EU. It alsoraises concerns about Article 17 and the “media exemption”, potentially undermining the Digital Services Act (DSA) provisions.
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Open Letter: European Parliament must protect journalists and ban spyware in the European Media Freedom Act
As the European Parliament gets set to vote on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) next week, 80 civil society and journalists’ associations are calling on Members of European Parliament (MEPs) to ensure meaningful protection for journalists in the regulation by including a total ban on spyware.
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Polish Senate calls Pegasus illegal and demands scrutiny over secret services
The Senate of Poland concluded its investigation on the use of Pegasus by Polish secret services to spy on ia. opposition politicians and unapologetic public persons. They declared that Pegasus should be considered illegal in Poland and the secret services should be put under strict and independent scrutiny. Doubts also arose around the fairness of Poland’s 2019 elections.
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European Parliament’s CULT committee set to greenlight controversial amendment to the EMFA in today’s vote
The European Parliament’s CULT committee is set to vote on the EMFA. The committee is likely to approve the contentious 24-hour must-carry amendment that could make it harder to fight disinformation, and would undermine the Digital Services Act.
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LIBE Committee’s opinion fails to include a total ban on the use of spyware in the European Media Freedom Act
EU Parliament's LIBE committee voted on its position on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) and failed to call for a total ban on the use of spyware against journalists.
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Open Letter: Make vulnerability disclosure in the Cyber Resilience Act more secure, not less
The CRA would require organisations to disclose software vulnerabilities to government agencies within 24 hours of exploitation. However, such recently exploited vulnerabilities are unlikely to be mitigated within such a short time, leading to real-time databases of software with unmitigated vulnerabilities in the possession of potentially dozens of government agencies. Read the open letter.
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PEGA Committee does not go all the way on spyware regulation
On 8 May 2023, the Committee of Inquiry of the European Parliament investigating the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (PEGA) adopted its final report and recommendation, after 14 months of hearings, studies and fact-finding missions.
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Spyware is only the tip of the iceberg: we need to protect journalists from all forms of surveillance
The EDRi network published amendments and recommendations for the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) proposal calling for comprehensive protection for journalists, journalistic sources and human defenders against surveillance measures.
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PEGA Committee must call for an EU-wide ban on spyware
The European Parliament’s inquiry committee on Pegasus and other similar spyware (PEGA) is working on a set of recommendations for the regulation of the use of intrusive spyware by EU Member States. It is still unclear whether the Committee will dare to set vitally needed red lines and call for a sufficiently protective European Union-wide framework against spyware in its non-binding report. EDRi submitted amendments to strengthen the demands for the protection of affected people and democratic values.
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Is the EU protecting people from Pegasus spyware?
Spyware is an extremely invasive surveillance tool and a global threat to human rights and democracy. Since the initial Pegasus Project revelations, we’ve learned that governments and private actors in over 46 countries worldwide, including EU member states, have used invasive spyware to target and silence journalists, human rights defenders, political opponents, and dissidents.
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