Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

SecurityWeekSecurityWeek

Tracking & Law Enforcement

As Wiretap Claims Rattle Government, Greece Bans Spyware

Lawmakers in Greece on Friday approved legislation banning commercial spyware and reforming rules for legally-sanctioned wiretaps following allegations that senior government officials and journalists had been targeted by shadowy surveillance software. The 156-142 vote in parliament followed two days of debate, during which opposition lawmakers accused the government of attempting to cover up the illegal surveillance.

Lawmakers in Greece on Friday approved legislation banning commercial spyware and reforming rules for legally-sanctioned wiretaps following allegations that senior government officials and journalists had been targeted by shadowy surveillance software. The 156-142 vote in parliament followed two days of debate, during which opposition lawmakers accused the government of attempting to cover up the illegal surveillance. They demanded that the date of a general election — due before next summer — be brought forward. Under the new law, the use, sale or distribution of spyware in Greece will carry a penalty of a two-year minimum prison sentence. Additional safeguards were also planned for legal wiretaps as well as for hiring the director and deputy directors of the National Intelligence Service, or NIS. Critics, including human rights groups and an independent transparency authority, argue that the changes followed a poorly-planned consultation process and lack sufficient oversight. Opposition lawmakers all voted against the bill Friday.

In August, a top government aide and the country’s security chief resigned following revelations that Socialist politician Nikos Androulakis had been the subject of telephone surveillance by the NIS that the government insists had been legally sanctioned. Androulakis was later elected leader of Greece’s third largest party.

{ Read: European Lawmaker Targeted With Cytrox Predator Surveillance Spyware }

Reports followed in the news media that cell phones belonging to members of the cabinet as well as other senior officials and journalists may have been targeted with powerful Predator spyware.

The government insists its agencies have never used the spyware — a position that political opponents have repeatedly questioned.

“Was the NIS monitoring other politicians besides Mr. Androulakis? The heads of the armed forces? members of the European Parliament, yes or no?” opposition leader Alexis Tsipras, who heads the left-wing Syriza party, said in parliament. “I hope the answer is ’no′ and I expect to hear it clearly. But if it turns out that you are lying, you will be duty-bound to resign.”

{ Read: Can ‘Lockdown Mode’ Solve Apple’s Mercenary Spyware Problem? }

The government of Prime Minister Mitsotakis’ center-right New Democracy party, has seen its strong lead in opinions polls in recent weeks suffer as a result of the wiretapping allegations and the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

A prosecutor from Greece’s Supreme Court is heading an investigation into the surveillance allegations, while the use – alleged or otherwise – of spyware in Greece and several other European Union members is also the subject of a European Parliament inquiry.

Related: Citizen Lab Exposes Cytrox as Vendor Behind ‘Predator’ iPhone Spyware

Related: Pegasus Zero-Click ‘Most Technically Sophisticated Exploit Ever Seen’

Related: Apple Adds ‘Lockdown Mode’ to Thwart .Gov Mercenary Spyware

Related: Apple Slaps Lawsuit on NSO Group Over Pegasus iOS Exploitation

Related: US Puts New Controls on Israeli Spyware Company NSO Group

Written By

Click to comment

Trending

Daily Briefing Newsletter

Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing to stay informed on the latest threats, trends, and technology, along with insightful columns from industry experts.

Learn how the LOtL threat landscape has evolved, why traditional endpoint hardening methods fall short, and how adaptive, user-aware approaches can reduce risk.

Watch Now

Join the summit to explore critical threats to public cloud infrastructure, APIs, and identity systems through discussions, case studies, and insights into emerging technologies like AI and LLMs.

Register

People on the Move

Coro, a provider of cybersecurity solutions for SMBs, has appointed Joe Sykora as CEO.

SonicWall has hired Rajnish Mishra as Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer.

Kenna Security co-founder Ed Bellis has joined Empirical Security as Chief Executive Officer.

More People On The Move

Expert Insights

Daily Briefing Newsletter

Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing to stay informed on the latest cybersecurity news, threats, and expert insights. Unsubscribe at any time.