The European Commission declined to comment on Monday 11 April on allegations in the press that several Commission officials were spied on using Israeli Pegasus software in 2021, including Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders, as reported by Reuters.
According to the news agency, at least “four other staff members at the Commission are also impacted”. The Commission became aware of the targeting after Apple sent messages to thousands of iPhone users in November, telling them that they were being targeted by state-sponsored attackers, according to two European officials who spoke to Reuters.
Commission spokesperson Johannes Bahrke said that the Commission was carrying out the necessary checks. However, they had put safety procedures in place at an early stage. “Before the reports in the press, we changed our procedures to prevent malware or spyware from accessing our phones. We have a specialised department who are responsible for counter-intelligence, operational security, safeguarding our assets and intelligence”, said the spokesperson, while adding that the Commission is taking all this “very seriously”.
NOS, the company that created Pegasus, has denied that its software could have been used in these instances.
For its part, the European Parliament has just set up a board of inquiry into Pegasus. It will hold its inaugural meeting on 19 April. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)