EU finds signs of Israeli spyware use on top official phones: Letter

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
28 Jul 23:39

EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders stated in a letter dated July 25 that Apple alerted him in November 2021 of possible hacking of his smartphone by the Israeli Pegasus software.

Israeli cyber firm NSO Group’s exhibition stand at an Israeli security expo in “Tel Aviv” (Reuters)

The European Commission, the EU executive's arm in Brussels, has discovered indications that the phones of some of its top officials have been targeted with spy software designed by Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group.

EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders stated in a letter dated July 25 to Dutch MEP Sophie in’t Veld that Apple alerted him in November 2021 of possible hacking of his smartphone by the Israeli Pegasus software.

Pegasus is Israeli spyware that targeted prominent and influential figures all around the globe, including politicians and journalists.

The Israeli NSO Group-developed spyware leaks stated that there are more than 50,000 records of phone numbers that NSO clients selected for surveillance since 2016.

An internal investigation did not "confirm that Pegasus had succeeded in infecting the devices, personal or professional," of him or other EU employees as per Reynders' letter.

But "several device checks led to the discovery of indicators of compromise", the letter said, stressing that "it is impossible to attribute these clues to a specific perpetrator with certainty."

The letter did not provide further details on the outcome of the Commission's investigation, which is still ongoing, citing security concerns.

It is worth noting that in 't Veld is part of an EU Parliament investigation into Pegasus, which is looking into allegations of Pegasus spyware used by EU governments, including Hungary, Poland, and Spain.

After a scandal involving the use of Pegasus to hack top politicians' mobile phones, Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, vowed last month to tighten oversight of the country's secret services.

The scandal broke in April, when Citizen Lab, a Canadian cybersecurity watchdog, revealed that the phones of more than 60 people associated with the Catalan separatist movement had been tapped with Pegasus spyware.

Reynders stated that the commission had sent requests for additional information on Pegasus usage to Hungary, Poland, and Spain.

Almost a year now, the world continues to react to the Pegasus spyware scandal as press reports continue to reveal how it aimed to target powerful and prominent figures, including politicians, journalists, and activists.

Read more: Pegasus, "Israel's" Trojan Horse