Eu Parliament Official Targeted By State-Backed Spyware Attack

The Pegasus Hack: A Wake-Up Call for EU Action on Spyware

Forensic evidence has confirmed that Stelios Kouloglou, a member of the European Parliament’s (EP) PEGA spyware inquiry committee, was hacked with Pegasus in 2022 and 2023. This development has sparked calls for urgent action from civil society groups and MEPs, who argue that the EU’s lack of accountability on spyware use is unacceptable.

The PEGA committee, established in 2021 to investigate the use of spyware in Europe, has been at the forefront of exposing the dark side of the surveillance industry. However, the fact that one of its own members was targeted by a notorious tool like Pegasus highlights the severity of the problem and the need for immediate action.

Citizen Lab, a renowned digital rights organization, confirmed the hack in a statement, which has sent shockwaves through the EU’s political landscape. The attacker remains unidentified, but Citizen Lab asserts that there is no indication that the Greek government was involved. Nevertheless, the incident raises serious concerns about the security of sensitive information and the potential for espionage.

The same Pegasus-linked email address that appeared in the campaign against journalists across Europe also showed up in the targeted attack on Kouloglou. This suggests that the attacker may have had authorization to deploy the NSO Group tool in multiple countries, further emphasizing the need for accountability and strict regulations.

Lawmakers from various parties have described the incident as an attack on the rule of law, and some have even called for strict EU-wide limits on spyware use. The Parliament’s left grouping has specifically demanded that the EU establish clear guidelines to regulate the sale and deployment of spyware tools like Pegasus.

The European Commission’s response to this crisis has been met with criticism from civil society groups and MEPs. Despite repeated requests for comment, the Commission has remained silent on the issue. This lack of response is seen as a tacit endorsement of the status quo, where EU public money flows into the surveillance industry itself, despite concerns about human rights abuses.

The pattern of European scandals surrounding spyware use is long and disturbing. From targeting exiled journalists in Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland to the infamous case of the Parliament’s president being spied upon with Predator, it is clear that the issue goes far beyond a single incident. The fact that EU public money has flowed into surveillance industry companies accused of repression further highlights the need for urgent action.

Enforcement of the bloc’s dual-use export rules remains patchy, and leaked Bulgarian export licenses to governments accused of repression have exposed the EU’s inconsistent approach to regulating spyware sellers. While on paper the EU regulates the surveillance industry, in practice, it often funds them.

NSO Group’s recent exploration of selling Pegasus altogether raises further accountability questions about the company’s practices. The tool’s customers, whoever they are, continue to find European targets, highlighting the need for stricter regulations and oversight.

The PEGA committee’s 2023 recommendations, which aimed to address the EU’s spyware problem, have largely remained unanswered. A public roadmap for implementing these recommendations would provide a much-needed clarity on the EU’s approach to regulating spyware tools like Pegasus.

The incident highlights the urgent need for EU-wide action on spyware use. If one of its own members was targeted by a notorious tool like Pegasus while working on an inquiry into this issue, it is hard to imagine what would trigger a response from the EU. The fact that Kouloglou’s hack has sparked widespread outrage and calls for accountability demonstrates the gravity of the situation.

In conclusion, the Pegasus hack of Stelios Kouloglou serves as a wake-up call for EU action on spyware. The lack of accountability on this issue is unacceptable, and it is time for the European Commission to take concrete steps to address the problem.

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