Almost three months after the Paragon spyware scandal came to light in Italy, the European Parliament’sCommittee on Civil Liberties held a debate on the issue. However, the meeting took place under unusual circumstances: Members of the European People’s Party (EPP) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) actively excluded victims from participating.
In the End, it’s always about People
Behind every abstract debate about spyware lies a simple truth: this is about people and their fundamental rights. The illegal use of spyware against human rights defenders, activists, journalists, and clergy in Italy is an attack on democracy itself.
To remind the committee of this, I shared photos of those affected at the start of the session. But these were quickly collected and removed following objections by right-wing Italian MEP Alessandro Ciriani from the ECR group. The EU Observer also reported on this incident.
Nothing New from the Commission
After the Pegasus scandal, the European Parliament issued detailed recommendations to the European Commission on how to address spyware within the EU. What has happened since then? Nothing. Once again, we received only vague and evasive answers from the Commission—this time on the consequences of the Paragon revelations.
The Industry has Failed in Self-Regulation
The Paragon scandal makes it clear: we cannot rely on the industry to regulate itself. There is no such thing as ethical spyware. During the debate, John Scott-Railton, a spyware expert from Citizen Lab, issued a stark warning: “We are only a short distance from the technology proliferated by this industry fueling a ransomware crisis, or a major cyberattack against Europe.”
To prevent this, we urgently need effective regulation at the EU level. The Commission must act—now.
You can watch the full committee exchange here.
