Three and a half years after the first revelations in July 2021 about the large-scale, illegal use of the highly invasive Pegasus spyware, Italy now joins the list of EU countries that have used spyware illegally. Recently, spyware from the company Paragon was used in Italy against civil society representatives and independent journalists.
Focus on the Victims
At an event organized by the Greens/EFA Group, my colleagues Saskia Bricmont, Leoluca Orlando, and I invited individuals affected by this spyware abuse to share their experiences. Among them were David Yambio, human rights activist and founder of Refugees in Libya Francesco Cancellato, Editor-in-Chief of Fanpage.it Spyware expert John Scott-Railton from Citizen Lab provided insights into the Paragon scandal investigation. EurActiv reported on the event here.
You can re-watch the livestream of the event here:
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More InformationNew Findings on the Paragon Scandal
John Scott-Railton also shared new findings from the Citizen Lab report released today. According to their research, many more people in Italy have been affected by Paragon spyware than previously known. The institute has forensic evidence confirming this. There are also indications that Paragon spyware may have been used in Germany. My colleague MP Konstantin von Notz has already submitted inquiries regarding this issue.
The Washington Post, The Guardian, EurActiv and Deutschlandfunk have reported about this.
There Is No "Ethical" Spyware
In 2023, the European Parliament adopted recommendations on how the European Commission should act against the illegal use of spyware in Europe. What has happened since then? Nothing.
As Greens/EFA, we have always warned that self-regulation does not work—and this case proves it once again.
Paragon marketed itself as a provider of “clean” and “ethical” spyware, claiming that it only sells to democratic actors. But this scandal shows that even under these conditions, abuse cannot be prevented.
We Need EU-wide Regulation
As the Greens/EFA Group, we continue to demand strong legal safeguards to prevent spyware abuse. The Paragon case is yet another example of why we urgently need laws and better protections against the illegal use of spyware in Europe.
Only through strict regulations can we protect the fundamental rights of EU citizens. That is why we are using this moment to increase pressure at both the European and national levels.
