A Dutch MEP claims that Bulgaria exports spyware to Europe
“Bulgaria and Cyprus are the two countries in the EU that export spyware to Europe,” claims the report by Dutch MEP Sophie int Veld from the Renew Europe group.
Sophie in’t Veld is a member of the Pegasus temporary commission of inquiry in the lower parliament. The commission was created in March after the Pegasus software scandal broke last year. It then became clear that spyware was used not only to track criminals and terrorists, but also to eavesdrop on journalists, politicians, lawyers, businessmen and representatives of civil society.
The Dutch MEP claims that all countries in the low-lying union use Pegasus, but the governments of some countries such as Greece, Spain, Poland and Hungary misuse it.
“You need to understand well that spyware is not just listening on your cell phone, you have the ability to make it huge. Once installed on your phone, it gets access to all your personal information – it knows who it talks to, where, for how long, has access And yes, it can be used to eavesdrop on your phone conversations, and when you’re in a meeting or somewhere in public, the software can activate the phone’s microphone and camera and spy on people around you as well,” Veld said of the software.
Sophie in’t Veld says this is a pan-European problem. The MEP stressed that most governments do not abuse the software, but most governments use spyware.
“We know, for example, that such software is being exported from Cyprus and Bulgaria. We know that Luxembourg is the banking headquarters of the spyware industry. We know that a large spyware company has been set up in Ireland because it offers a helpful fiscal regime. Such a company has and in Austria, France, Italy, Greece, everywhere,” she also told BNT.
“On the one hand, the Bulgarian authorities, as well as the Cypriot ones, say that: “We do not grant licenses for the amount of spyware”. And on the other hand, we understand from the companies themselves that they export their products directly through the countries. These issues should be receive It is not possible for both statements to be true,” she commented.