Spyware Scandal Unfolds in Greece Amid Allegations of Government Cover-Up


It has become known as Greece's Watergate: spyware software and Greek intelligence targeted the mobile phones of government ministers, senior military officers, judges and journalists.


Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called it a scandal, but no government officials have been charged in court and critics accuse the government of trying to cover up the truth.


Instead, a low-ranking judge will on Wednesday hear the case against two Israelis and two Greeks, allegedly involved with marketing spy software known as Predator.


What we know


In the summer of 2022, the then-MEP Nikos Androulakis was alerted by EU Parliament's IT experts about a malicious text containing spyware.


Predator, marketed by the Athens-based Israeli firm Intellexa, can access device messages, camera, and microphone. Tensions escalated when Androulakis discovered he had been surveilled for national security reasons by Greece's National Intelligence Service (EYP).


Following the scandal, there were resignations from high-profile officials, including the head of EYP, as the crisis deepened. Reports indicated at least 87 people targeted, including ministers and military officials.


Despite the overlaps in targets, the government insists on a coincidence, denying law enforcement's use of Predator, which was illegal at the time. A new law passed in 2022 has now legalized certain uses of surveillance software.


Was the government involved?


The government has been criticized for its response to uncovering surveillance, receiving backlash after leaving empty-handed from Intellexa's office raid. There have been questions on transparency and the right to know regarding past surveillance.


As this scandal unfolds, many await a clearer picture of judicial and governmental accountability while the ramifications on democracy and personal privacy continue to resonate throughout Greece.