Fresh allegations surrounding the use of Israeli-made Pegasus spyware in Poland have reignited concerns about political surveillance across Europe, with a former Greek member of the European Parliament warning that sensitive government information may have been accessible to foreign intelligence agencies.
Stelios Kouloglou, a Greek journalist and former European lawmaker who says he was targeted by Pegasus, argued Tuesday that revelations concerning Poland strengthen his legal case against NSO Group, the Israeli company behind the powerful surveillance software.
The controversy follows allegations by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk concerning the extensive use of Pegasus under Poland’s previous government, which reportedly purchased the surveillance system for €13 million, partly using public funds intended to support crime victims.
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According to Kouloglou, the Polish case demonstrates how sophisticated surveillance technology, ostensibly acquired for national-security purposes, can be deployed against political opponents and journalists. More troubling, he argued, is the possibility that information intercepted through Pegasus could be accessed by Israeli intelligence services, raising questions about the extent to which governments retain control over sensitive data collected through foreign-developed surveillance systems.
Kouloglou challenged the argument that spyware manufacturers bear no responsibility once their products have been sold to government clients. He also warned that access to confidential communications could potentially enable foreign actors to blackmail politicians or influence political decisions.
The allegations carry particular significance in Greece, where Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s government has faced years of scrutiny over a domestic surveillance scandal involving Predator, another sophisticated spyware system.
That controversy involved the targeting of politicians, journalists and senior officials, including individuals holding sensitive national-security positions. Kouloglou argued that surveillance of foreign and defense officials, as well as senior military commanders, raises questions extending beyond privacy violations to national sovereignty.
The former lawmaker has filed a legal complaint against NSO Group following findings by the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab that he was targeted with Pegasus while participating in a European Parliament investigation into spyware abuses. He maintains that the developments in Poland reinforce his case and has pledged further legal action. His claims concerning foreign intelligence access and political manipulation remain allegations requiring independent verification.
Nevertheless, the widening controversy highlights a fundamental problem confronting European democracies: surveillance technologies acquired in the name of national security may themselves create serious security vulnerabilities.
For Greece, where the surveillance affair has already damaged confidence in democratic oversight and institutional accountability, the Polish revelations could intensify demands for answers about who authorized the monitoring, who obtained the intercepted information and whether foreign entities gained access to sensitive state communications.
