Israeli businessman Tal Dilian, founder of the surveillance technology company Intellexa, has made what observers describe as an indirect admission that the controversial Predator spyware used in Greece was operated by state authorities.
The remark came during an appearance on the Greek television program Mega Stories, where journalist Dora Anagnostopoulou asked Dilian to clarify who the real clients of Intellexa’s surveillance systems were in Greece and whether the company had cooperated with state agencies, Greek authorities, or private actors. The interview followed a recent ruling by a Greek court that sentenced Dilian at first instance to 126 years in prison for the use of surveillance systems targeting at least 87 individuals.
In response, Dilian said that Intellexa “operates strictly in accordance with European and international export regulations, providing technology only to governments and law-enforcement agencies.” While he did not explicitly name Greece’s National Intelligence Service (EYP) as a client, the statement has been widely interpreted as an indication that the end users of the Predator system in Greece were state authorities.
ΔΙΑΒΑΣΤΕ ΕΠΙΣΗΣ
Dilian maintained that Intellexa itself does not conduct surveillance operations. According to him, the company’s role ends once the technology is delivered and installed, and it does not retain operational access to the systems afterward. Responsibility for the lawful use of such technologies, he said, lies with the authorities that acquire and operate them.
His comments came before the written version of the court ruling has been finalized and before a special preliminary investigation begins into whether the use of the surveillance systems could constitute the felony of espionage under Greek law.
The case has reignited a major political controversy in Greece over the use of Predator spyware. Investigations have suggested that the spyware was used to monitor dozens of individuals, including politicians, journalists, judges, and business figures.
Opposition leader Nikos Androulakis, head of the center-left PASOK-KINAL party and himself one of the surveillance targets, said on Friday that Dilian’s statement undermines the government’s long-standing claim that the spyware was operated by private actors acting independently of the state. According to Androulakis, the remarks indicate that Predator’s use was directly linked to government mechanisms and state authorities.
Androulakis accused the government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of misleading the public about the scandal. He argued that the spyware had functioned as part of what he described as a “para-state apparatus” organized around the prime minister’s office. The opposition leader has requested a parliamentary debate on the matter and said he expects it to take place soon.
