EU Politicians Investigated Pegasus Spyware. Then It Ended Up on One of Their Phones

Key Points:

• Stelios Kouloglou, a Greek MEP and member of the European Parliament's PEGA Committee investigating Pegasus spyware, was himself hacked multiple times with Pegasus during the committee's work in 2022-2023, according to a forensic analysis by Citizen Lab.
• Pegasus spyware, created by Israeli firm NSO Group, can infiltrate iOS and Android devices to access microphones, cameras, messages, and other personal data; Kouloglou's targeting raised concerns about breaches of EU parliamentary confidentiality and privacy.
• The Citizen Lab report marks the first known case of a PEGA Committee member being targeted by Pegasus while investigating spyware misuse, highlighting the widespread and brazen nature of spyware attacks on European lawmakers.
• Although the report does not attribute responsibility to any government, it notes overlaps with Pegasus attacks on Russian- and Belarusian-speaking journalists and activists, and finds no evidence implicating the Greek government.
• MEPs and researchers criticize the slow response to spyware threats in Europe, calling for stronger protections and implementation of committee recommendations, while noting that other countries like the US have taken more decisive action against mercenary spyware.