A Member of European Parliament’s Spyware Oversight Committee Infected with Spyware
In a shocking turn of events, it has been revealed that a member of the European Parliament’s Permanent Special Committee on Foreign Interference in Democratic Processes (PEGA) was infected with Pegasus spyware. Stelios Kouloglou, a Greek journalist and former member of the European Parliament, had Pegasus installed on his phone twice – once in October 2022 and again in March 2023 – while he was serving on the committee.
The discovery was made by researchers at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab, who found evidence of the infections with “high confidence.” Kouloglou himself had run security tests on his phone before joining the PEGA committee, but it seems that someone was able to bypass these measures and infect his device. The timing of the infections is particularly concerning, as they occurred during critical moments in the committee’s work, including while Kouloglou was in the hospital recovering from an illness.
The use of spyware like Pegasus raises serious concerns about the potential for government agencies or other actors to snoop on individuals and compromise sensitive information. The European Parliament had established the PEGA committee in response to revelations about the misuse of NSO Group’s Pegasus technology, and it was tasked with investigating these abuses and making recommendations for preventing them in the future.
However, despite the committee’s efforts, it appears that some individuals or groups are still willing to use spyware to compromise democratic processes. Kouloglou himself is now planning to pursue legal action against NSO Group, while other members of the PEGA committee, such as Hannah Neumann from Germany, are emphasizing the need for greater vigilance and security measures.
Neumann noted that many parliamentarians may not be aware of the risks they face when using their personal devices for work-related activities. “Regularly get your devices checked,” she advised her colleagues. “Apparently they don’t respect European democracy and parliamentarism.” She also highlighted the need to implement the recommendations made by the PEGA committee, which were designed to prevent spyware abuses and protect individuals’ rights.
The irony of a member of the PEGA committee being targeted with Pegasus spyware is not lost on researchers at Citizen Lab. “It’s ironic that a member of the committee charged with investigating Pegasus was himself targeted with Pegasus,” said Ron Deibert, founder and director of the organization. “This case shows how the still unregulated and highly abused mercenary spyware industry is poisonous to democratic processes.”
As the European Parliament continues its efforts to address the issue of spyware misuse, it’s clear that more needs to be done to prevent these types of abuses from happening in the future. For individuals who work in sensitive roles or handle confidential information, it’s essential to take proactive steps to protect themselves and their devices from potential threats. By doing so, they can help ensure that democratic processes remain free from interference and manipulation.
Source: CyberScoop — 2026-07-03