| Author (Person) | in 't Veld, Sophie |
|---|---|
| Author Details | (Rapporteur) |
| Author (Corporate) | European Parliament: Special Committee on the Use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware |
| Series Title | Official Journal of the European Union |
| Series Details | 2023/2500(RSP) |
| Publication Date | 23/01/2024 |
| Content Type | Blog & Commentary, News, Report |
Summary:Recommendation adopted by the plenary of the European Parliament on 15 June 2023, following an investigation carried out on alleged contraventions and maladministration in the application of EU law in relation to the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware. Further information:A number of civil society organisations and journalists revealed in 2021 that government bodies in several countries had used Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware against journalists, politicians, law enforcement officials, diplomats, lawyers, business people, civil society actors and others, for political and even criminal purposes. The software had been developed by an Israeli company and used to breach mobile phones and extract data stored or processed by the target system. The use of Pegasus poses a threat to the fundamental rights and principles enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (EU) as in the EU Treaties. It also raised questions around the effectiveness of EU export controls, human rights safeguards in the procurement of spyware from third countries, and foreign policy cooperation. In March 2022, the European Parliament decided to set up a special committee of inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and other surveillance spyware, and whether this use has breached EU law and fundamental rights. The first committee meeting was held on 19 April, and the final report was adopted at committee level on 8 May 2023. The plenary of the European Parliament adopted the recommendations on 15 June 2023. The report highlights the importance of the protection of privacy, the right to dignity, private and family life, freedom of expression and information, freedom of assembly and association, and the right to a fair trial. It stresses that breaches of these fundamental rights and freedoms are key in terms of respect for the common legal principles set out in the Treaties and that democracy itself is at stake, as the use of spyware on politicians, civil society and journalists has a chilling effect and severely affects the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and public participation. This Resolution strongly condemns the use of spyware by Member State governments and members of government authorities or state institutions for the purpose of monitoring, blackmailing, intimidating, manipulating and discrediting opposition members, critics and civil society, eliminating democratic scrutiny and the free press, manipulating elections and undermining the rule of law by targeting judges, prosecutors and lawyers for political purposes. The recommendation was published in the Official Journal on 23 January 2024. |
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| Source Link |
http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/494/oj
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| Subject Categories | Justice and Home Affairs |
| Subject Tags | Telecommunications |
| Keywords | Digital Technology |
| International Organisations | European Union [EU] |
