MEP Investigating Spyware Was Targeted by Pegasus Software, Report Reveals
A recent report by researchers at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab indicates that a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) was targeted with spyware while investigating abuses of such software. Stelios Kouloglou, a Greek MEP at the time, had his device compromised after joining a European parliamentary committee focused on spyware. While Citizen Lab could not definitively link the attacks to a specific government operator of NSO Group's Pegasus spyware, their findings suggest the hacking bore similarities to a previous campaign against exiled Russian and Belarusian journalists in Europe. The investigation highlights the ongoing concerns surrounding the use of sophisticated surveillance technology against political figures and journalists within Europe.
The reported targeting of an MEP investigating spyware raises significant questions about the governance and oversight of surveillance technologies like Pegasus. The inability to attribute the attacks to a specific state actor, while noting similarities to past campaigns, underscores the challenges in holding operators accountable within international legal frameworks. This incident highlights a potential systemic vulnerability where tools designed for national security might be misused, creating a chilling effect on legislative oversight and investigative journalism. Future considerations should focus on strengthening international norms, enhancing transparency in spyware procurement and deployment, and developing robust mechanisms for redress when such technologies are allegedly abused.
AI-generated to prompt reflection — not editorial opinion, not advice, not a statement of fact. How this works.