Data watchdog stresses on EU ban on Pegasus spyware

Data watchdog stresses on EU ban on Pegasus spyware

The European Data Protection Supervisor maintains that it is incompatible with the region's democratic values and should be banned

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has published preliminary remarks about the Pegasus spyware and called for a European Union-wide ban.

The governments for the purpose of surveillance of journalists, activists and politicians in several EU member states and other jurisdictions have used the controversial Pegasus spyware.

EDPS said that the Pegasus spyware provided unlimited access to personal data and violates the right to privacy of individuals. Acknowledging that certain features were disabled during the surveillance to limit intrusiveness issues, EDPS, however, stated that Pegasus must be utilized only for the purpose of imminent terrorist attacks and not for wider or systematic surveillance. If used for regular surveillance, then it will be incompatible with the EU legal order.

The data watchdog further remarked that the surveillance with advanced hacking would affect the right to a fair hearing. It suggested that the EU could amend the EU Dual-Use Regulation to strengthen the current cyber-surveillance regime and protect the fundamental rights of each individual.

It maintained that Pegasus was a highly advanced military-grade spyware and violated the fundamental rights of the people, especially the right to privacy. It should, therefore, make its application incompatible with the EU's democratic values.