Thursday

28th Mar 2024

EU condemns 'Pegasus' spyware use on journalists

  • "We live in a world where modern states face many threats. Let's not be ridiculous, every country needs such tools," says Hungary's justice minister, Judit Varga (Photo: Council of the European Union)

The EU has condemned spying on journalists, following media revelations that Israeli software was used to hack their smartphones.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Monday (19 July) said the revelations, if proved correct, are "completely unacceptable".

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

"Freedom of media, free press is one of the core values of the EU. It is completely unacceptable if this (hacking) were to be the case," she said.

The comments have cast a long shadow over Hungary, whose government also stands accused.

The accusations were made in an international investigation over the weekend by 17 media organisations, led by the Paris-based non-profit journalism group Forbidden Stories.

They say the spyware known as Pegasus, created by Israeli company NSO, was used to hack the smartphones of government officials, dissidents, journalists and others.

Pegasus enables the attacker to reveal all the content on a phone, including end-to-end encryption messages. It can also turn on the audio or video recorder.

Amnesty International, which carried out the technical analysis behind the attacks, has demanded an immediate moratorium on the export, sale, transfer and use of surveillance technology.

The NSO Group says it carefully vets clients, claiming its software can only be used to hack terrorists and criminals.

But the joint investigation shows otherwise.

"At least 180 journalists around the world have been selected as targets by clients of the cybersurveillance company NSO Group," said Forbidden Stories.

Among them are Hungarian journalists and critics of Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban.

Hungarian media outlet Direkt36 took part in the Forbidden Stories investigation.

They identified a handful of Hungarian journalists and critics that had been targeted by Pegasus.

"In addition to them, phone numbers of multiple Hungarian public figures also appear among those selected for targeting," says their report.

A Hungarian government spokesperson denied the reports, suggesting the stories were driven by paranoia.

But later comments made by Hungarian's justice minister Judit Varga appear to confirm the reports.

"We live in a world where modern states face many threats. Let's not be ridiculous, every country needs such tools," she was quoted as saying in Hungarian media.

The revelations have triggered demands for an investigation by European lawmakers, including Orban critic and former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt.

"No more 'deeply concerned'.... the EU has a dictatorship growing inside of it," he said on twitter.

"We need a full inquiry by the European Parliament!" he added.

Hungary's World Press Freedom Index rating has slipped from 23rd to 92nd since Orban came to power in 2010.

Opinion

How Orbán killed a radio station

On Monday, yet another brick in the Hungary's democracy was removed, with the silencing of the Klubrádió station - with devastating implications for press freedom both in the country and the wider EU.

Pegasus spyware makers grilled by MEPs

"We will not continue to work with a customer that is targeting a journalist illegally," Chaim Gelfand, chief compliance officer of NSO Group told MEPs — but shed little light on EU governments' use of its Pegasus spyware.

MEPs hear testimony from Pegasus spy victims

The renewed calls for action on Pegasus surveillance in Poland and Hungary came after Hungary's data protection authority, headed by an appointee of prime minister Viktor Orbán, said victims were legitimate targets.

Opinion

Potential legal avenues to prosecute Navalny's killers

The UN could launch an independent international investigation into Navalny's killing, akin to investigation I conducted on Jamal Khashoggi's assassination, or on Navalny's Novichok poisoning, in my role as special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, writes the secretary-general of Amnesty International.

Opinion

I'll be honest — Moldova's judicial system isn't fit for EU

To state a plain truth: at present, Moldova does not have a justice system worthy of a EU member state; it is riven with corruption and lax and inconsistent standards, despite previous attempts at reform, writes Moldova's former justice minister.

Latest News

  1. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  2. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  3. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  4. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  5. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult
  6. EU unveils plan to create a European cross-border degree
  7. How migrants risk becoming drug addicts along Balkan route
  8. 2024: A Space Odyssey — why the galaxy needs regulating

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us