Presidents do not want to give up the possibility of mass surveillance of citizens.
Sophie in't Veld, a leading member of the European Parliament, criticized European authorities for failing to deal with the misuse of spyware that is spreading across the continent. The parliamentarian's statements were made at a conference of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a human rights organization in the field of digital rights.
Parliamentarian Sophie in't Veld, who led the European Parliament's investigation into the use of spyware in Spain, Greece and Poland, said that European governments are not taking action because they lack the political will.
In't Veld added that the authorities know what needs to be done, but do not want to solve the problem. According to In 't Veld, European governments really like their "little toy" and don't want to give it up. In ' t Veld also condemned Europe for exporting spyware to other countries.
The European Data Protection Supervisory Authority (EDPS) noted that a ban on spyware in Europe is not being discussed, as many governments want to continue using such tools to ensure law and order and national security. Despite numerous cases of abuse, the agency stressed that the use of spyware represents a "paradigm shift" in the field of interception of communications.
Commercial spyware, such as NSO Group's Pegasus, has been used against opposition politicians, journalists, and other targets across Europe. However, according to the EDPS, this leads to a degree of privacy interference that cannot be compared with traditional interception of communications.
Many European countries justify the use of Pegasus by protecting national security, referring to the law. However, in ' t Veld and EDPS have questioned such claims, citing the European Court's case law, which suggests that national security issues cannot serve as a universal justification.
In recent months, spyware abuse in Europe has been making headlines all the time. The phones of members of the European Parliament's Security and Defence sub — committee were found to contain traces of spyware during a random device check, a measure taken to prevent abuse in the run-up to national elections. Particular attention is now focused on Poland, where the national prosecutor said that from 2017 to 2022, about 578 citizens were targeted by Pegasus.
Sophie in't Veld, a leading member of the European Parliament, criticized European authorities for failing to deal with the misuse of spyware that is spreading across the continent. The parliamentarian's statements were made at a conference of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a human rights organization in the field of digital rights.
Parliamentarian Sophie in't Veld, who led the European Parliament's investigation into the use of spyware in Spain, Greece and Poland, said that European governments are not taking action because they lack the political will.
In't Veld added that the authorities know what needs to be done, but do not want to solve the problem. According to In 't Veld, European governments really like their "little toy" and don't want to give it up. In ' t Veld also condemned Europe for exporting spyware to other countries.
The European Data Protection Supervisory Authority (EDPS) noted that a ban on spyware in Europe is not being discussed, as many governments want to continue using such tools to ensure law and order and national security. Despite numerous cases of abuse, the agency stressed that the use of spyware represents a "paradigm shift" in the field of interception of communications.
Commercial spyware, such as NSO Group's Pegasus, has been used against opposition politicians, journalists, and other targets across Europe. However, according to the EDPS, this leads to a degree of privacy interference that cannot be compared with traditional interception of communications.
Many European countries justify the use of Pegasus by protecting national security, referring to the law. However, in ' t Veld and EDPS have questioned such claims, citing the European Court's case law, which suggests that national security issues cannot serve as a universal justification.
In recent months, spyware abuse in Europe has been making headlines all the time. The phones of members of the European Parliament's Security and Defence sub — committee were found to contain traces of spyware during a random device check, a measure taken to prevent abuse in the run-up to national elections. Particular attention is now focused on Poland, where the national prosecutor said that from 2017 to 2022, about 578 citizens were targeted by Pegasus.
