European Parliament to investigate use of Pegasus spyware

Several MEPs are going to set up a committee of inquiry to look into the use of the Pegasus spyware. The committee will investigate to what extent the spyware has been used against politicians and activists.

The European Parliament is in favor of the plan to set up such a committee by a majority, writes Sophie in ‘t Veld† She is one of the co-initiators of the plan, which comes mainly from the Renew Europe party. He advocates starting an investigation into the extent to which Pegasus has been deployed in Europe. “The committee must be formed as soon as possible to fully investigate the claims of illegally spying on government critics,” writes In ‘t Veld.

In recent months, more and more news has come out about the alleged use of Pegasus. That is a notorious spyware for iOS created by the controversial Israeli company NSO Group. Pegasus is said to have been used in some controversial events, including the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Meanwhile, there are also reports that the Polish and Hungarian governments used Pegasus against lawyers and journalists who were critical of the regimes. Politicians would also be affected with the spyware.

The European Commission of Inquiry must investigate whether these rumors are true. Any sanctions must then be imposed by the European Parliament or the European Commission. Renew Europe is already calling for the European Commission to blacklist the company behind the spyware. It is not yet known who will take place in the research group.