Pegasus Spyware Targets Its Own Investigator: European Politician Hacked While Examining Surveillance Abuses

Imagine working on a committee specifically tasked with investigating phone spyware, only to find out your own phone was hacked by the very tool you were looking into. That is exactly what happened to Stelios Kouloglou, a Greek journalist and former politician. Security researchers recently confirmed his iPhone was compromised by Pegasus spyware during 2022 and 2023, right when he was helping to probe spyware abuses across Europe.

This discovery marks a significant moment, as Kouloglou is the first publicly identified member of the European Parliament’s PEGA committee to become a spyware victim. This committee was set up to investigate the very issue of governments using phone spyware against journalists, lawmakers, and critics. The situation brings a fresh wave of concern about how these powerful surveillance tools are being used.

The hacks were confirmed by Citizen Lab, a digital rights unit at the University of Toronto. They explained that Kouloglou’s phone was first hit in October 2022 and then twice more in March 2023. These breaches used a sophisticated “zero-click” exploit, meaning the attackers broke into his device and stole data without him needing to click on anything or do anything at all.

This particular exploit took advantage of a vulnerability in Apple’s smart home software, a flaw that was later patched. However, the fix had not yet reached Kouloglou’s phone at the time of the attacks. This allowed the spyware to secretly grab private information, including his text messages, location data, and photos, all without his knowledge.

Stelios Kouloglou is a Greek journalist and former member of the European Parliament. The PEGA committee, which he served on, was formed in response to mounting evidence that governments were misusing powerful surveillance tools like Pegasus. Pegasus, developed by the Israeli company NSO Group, is designed to track criminals and terrorists, but it has repeatedly been found targeting activists, journalists, and politicians worldwide. This latest incident highlights a brazen attempt to spy on those trying to hold power accountable.

You should care about this story because it directly challenges the idea of privacy and accountability. If a politician actively investigating spyware can become a victim, it sends a chilling message about who else might be targeted. Your own personal data, conversations, and location could be at risk if such powerful tools are misused by governments without proper oversight. This goes beyond a simple tech problem; it strikes at the core of democracy and the rule of law.

What happens next could shape the future of digital privacy and government accountability. Kouloglou has announced plans to sue NSO Group, the maker of Pegasus. There are also growing calls for the European Commission to enact strict new rules to limit how and when spyware can be used across its member states. We will need to watch for any legal developments from Kouloglou’s lawsuit, along with potential new regulations and further investigations into NSO Group’s customers.

If governments are using sophisticated spyware on those investigating them, what steps can people take to truly protect their digital privacy?

Do you think companies like NSO Group should be allowed to sell such powerful surveillance tools to governments, given the potential for abuse?

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Filed under: PegasusSpyware, DigitalRights, GovernmentSurveillance, CybersecurityNews, TechEthics