Committee calls for European spyware rules

There needs to be new rules on spyware use and much more surveillance in Europe. This is the first report of the European Parliament committee investigating a series of wiretapping scandals in the EU. According to Sophie in ‘t Veld (D66), who was responsible for this report, the abuse of spyware directly undermines democracy.

A number of wiretapping scandals have emerged in the EU in recent years. With the help of the spyware Pegasus, opposition members and journalists in Greece, Hungary and Poland were persecuted. With Pegasus, authorities can access all information from a smartphone. Not only phone calls, but also calendars and websites visited are tracked.

For the European Parliament, wiretapping scandals were grounds for investigation. Investigations are not easy because many EU countries do not want to cooperate.

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In the last few months, the committee has therefore primarily dealt with known information. But according to In ‘t Veld, this information paints a clear picture of abuses. “Even if you miss 100 pieces of 1000 puzzles, you can still see what the puzzle looks like.”

According to the Pegasus Commission, almost all EU countries use spyware. In the Netherlands, for example, the AIVD is said to have used it to track down the spyware Ridouan Taghi. The use of such software in criminal investigations is not without controversy. Current legislation does not take into account all new espionage opportunities. Therefore, the committee is also calling for new laws.

What exactly is Pegasus? In this video we explain:

The Pegasus Commission is particularly concerned with situations where governments use spyware for political purposes. “The misuse of spyware against journalists, activists and opposition politicians is a direct attack on the rule of law,” said Jeroen Lenaers, CDA MP and Chairman of the Pegasus Committee. “It is therefore high time for Member States and the European Commission to finally take action.”

Poland’s ruling party, PiS, is said to have used Pegasus to spy on opposition figures in the 2019 elections. “This not only violates people’s privacy, but also harms democracy. He is rigging the elections and that is unacceptable,” In ‘t Veld said.

“Greek Prime Minister Confused”

In Hungary, the situation is not much different. Hundreds of Hungarians are estimated to have been spying on spyware. In Greece, there has been a lot of news about Pegasus in recent months.

Last Sunday, Greek newspaper Documento published a list of 33 businessmen, journalists and politicians tapped. The Greek Prime Minister is said to have been personally involved in the scandal. The prime minister vehemently denies it, saying there is no evidence.

The Spanish government is said to have spied on many people with software during the Catalan independence referendum. But for many EU politicians, the situation in Spain is different from other countries. The Spanish constitution states that securing a territory is illegal and therefore using spyware would have a legal basis.

The extent of the problem is why, according to the Pegasus Committee, European rules on the use of spyware should be introduced. According to In ‘t Veld, spyware will no longer be sold or bought. Only when a country imposes new rules and there is clear surveillance can spyware be used again.

The investigation is expected to be completed in March. Ultimately, EU countries have to decide what to do with the report’s results. Member States have already indicated that they believe only national governments should do this. This means that the chances of European rules being applied are practically zero.