Former Greek MEP files complaint over Pegasus spyware
Former Greek Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and journalist Stelios Kouloglou has filed a criminal complaint against the Israeli company that developed the Pegasus spyware found on his phone.
According to Greece’s state broadcaster ERT, Kouloglou launched legal proceedings after it emerged that he had been targeted by Pegasus, spyware developed by Israel-based NSO Group, between October 2022 and March 2023, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.
Kouloglou said his phone, which he was using while serving as an MEP and as an alternate member of the European Parliament committee established to investigate the use of Pegasus, Predator and other similar spyware, had been compromised by Pegasus.
He noted that the spyware was detected through a forensic analysis conducted by Citizen Lab, a cybersecurity research group affiliated with the University of Toronto in Canada. According to Kouloglou, the software provided access to a wide range of information stored on his phone, including messages, contact details, photographs, calendar entries, documents and location data.
Kouloglou also said the spyware could activate his phone’s camera remotely whenever desired, thereby violating his right to privacy.
Spyware targeted member of committee investigating the Spyware
Kouloglou served on the European Parliament committee established between March 2022 and July 2023 to investigate the use of Pegasus and similar surveillance software. The committee examined allegations of unlawful surveillance by European governments targeting journalists, politicians, activists and ordinary citizens.
A report published in July by Citizen Lab, the Canada-based cybersecurity research organization affiliated with the University of Toronto, stated that Kouloglou’s phone had been compromised by Pegasus at least three times between October 2022 and March 2023.
Pegasus, developed by Israel-based software company NSO Group, has been found to be used for surveillance operations around the world. NSO Group is currently on the U.S. sanctions list.
Photo: Chat GPT
