MEPs are concerned that eavesdropping with Pegasus-type software is escalating, but the bloc is unlikely to impose rules as the final word rests with member states who dislike such oversight, experts said on Monday (28 November).
Pegasus and other software, such as Predator, have gained significant notoriety in recent years after it came to light they were being used by governments and politicians against political rivals, journalists, and activists, amongst others. Such software monitor activity on digital devices, including calls, messages, and social media.
Jeroen Lenaеrs, chair of the PEGA European Parliament’s Committee of Inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware, said It was “pretty scary” how much information about personal life the Pegasus-type spyware can get.
He was speaking online at a conference in Sofia titled “The Pegasus case: How technologies enter personal space and take over our democracies”, co-hosted by Bulgarian MEP Ivo Hristov (Socialists and Democrats) and EURACTIV Bulgaria.
Lenaers said that the PEGA committee was determined to make recommendations for creating a European regulation, and the Commission had indicated that it would do its part in the effort.
“The Commission realises that something must be done,” said Lenaеrs, who mentioned that there was information in the public space that “Pegasus” was used even against the European Commissioner responsible for Justice, Didier Reynders, although he had not officially confirmed that.
But he lamented the lack of political will from many capitals.
“There is not much desire for regulations”, Lenaers said, speaking about the attitude of member states. He recalled that Poland, for example, refused to send any government representatives to meet with the members of the PEGA committee during their visit to this country.
Guilhem Giraud, a French expert on eavesdropping and surveillance and author of a book on Pegasus, said he saw no limits to the development of the spyware capabilities, in contrast with the limited counteraction.
“A special service must be created at the European level, which can help all European citizens find out if they are being tracked. This European service must be provided with the necessary human and technical resources,” the French expert urged.
He also said that some of the companies developing spying software had also provided services in the efforts by Russia to meddle in elections in Western countries.
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The Bulgarian connection
The Bulgarian connection in the international scandal is particularly significant, but the Bulgarian authorities are not investigating it very actively.
The link between Bulgaria and the Israeli company NSO Group, which created the Pegasus spyware, was established by a journalistic investigation a year ago. At its centre is the Bulgaria-based company Circles, which deals in eavesdropping products, and has about 150 employees. This company has a license from the Bulgarian authorities to export specialised software products to the EU until the end of 2023.
Deputy Minister of the Interior Vencislav Katinov, who represented the Bulgarian authorities at the conference, avoided answering questions concerning “the Bulgarian connection”. He said that, at the moment, no use of the Pegasus software in Bulgaria had been identified, adding that this did not mean that it did not exist.
Katinov focused on “the bigger picture”. The Pegasus software is just the tip of the iceberg, he said, as in his words, the private market for eavesdropping technology was booming. Katinov pointed out that the use of spyware was not new, and the industry’s revenue was estimated at $12 billion a year.
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Since 2012, 74 countries have purchased such technologies, and the most significant number of production companies are based in Europe, the United States and Israel, Katinov said.
MEP Hristov said that there were reports of ruling forces buying Pegasus software for political use against the opposition, and in Poland and Hungary, the software was reportedly used against those who challenged power.
But the use of the software stretched further than the borders of the EU and had even more serious consequences. “The most tragic case related to “Pegasus” is the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The Saudi opposition journalist was spied using “Pegasus” software, acquired by the Saudi state at the cost of about $50 million,” Hristov said.
European Parliament found that at least 14 EU member states had legally acquired the software, but there could be others using it as well.
“It is not known how many others have it without declaring it, as the subject is sensitive,” he said. According to him, there were no guarantees that the countries that buy this software would keep it for use only in the fight against legitimate threats.
A journalist in the spotlight
The editor-in-chief of EURACTIV Greece, Spyros Sideris, whose name appeared in leaked lists of people spied upon by Predator, addressed the conference with an appeal to politicians – not to compromise on the issue of protecting personal freedoms and human rights.
“Do not defend leaders or governments for partisan gain. You have a duty to the citizens you represent and those who vote for you. Democracy and the rule of law must be your banner,” Sideris said in his speech.
He spoke about his personal experience and said that when a person learns that he is spied upon, it seriously affects his personal life and emotional state. Tracking creates especially big problems for journalists because their sources of information stop trusting them, he added.
Greek MEP Nikos Androulakis, who has also been subject to eavesdropping by Predator, surveillance by Greece’s National Intelligence Service, called for pan-European measures to control the use of spyware.
“Although the government has so far denied that it bought this software, it has done nothing to establish who owns this espionage superweapon. However, investigative journalists have proven that the software was acquired by the Hellenic Intelligence Service,” said the Greek MEP.
He added that it was astonishing that eight months after the scandal erupted, it was still unclear who organised the eavesdropping.
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[Edited by Alice Taylor]
Source: euractiv.com
