MEPs on the European Parliament’s Committee of Inquiry into the use of Pegasus and equivalent spyware surveillance software (PEGA) met, on Tuesday 14 June, for a hearing of members from Microsoft, Meta and Google on the subject of “Big tech and spyware”.
“Users of Microsoft or Meta or others have been victims of services such as Pegasus. They are also fundamental actors in the definition and implementation of policies. Businesses are the other piece of the puzzle, along with Member States”, began Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez (EPP, Spain).
A large part of the MEPs’ interventions was devoted to the existing links between governments and the digital sector.
“This is tragic, when you hear that even democratic governments use these means. These governments should control companies like Google or Microsoft and not the other way around. We are at the height of a war that affects trade, energy, diplomacy and even military means”, said Giórgos Georgíou (The Left, Cyprus).
“I am puzzled. You deploy security measures to prevent governments from acting illegally. You are taking the place of governments who have to protect citizens”, said Saskia Bricmont (Greens/EFA, Belgium), questioning the content of the contacts that the major players in the sector have with national intelligence services.
In addition to the issue of funding to combat cyber threats, several MEPs also raised the issue of vulnerability inventories, aimed at making software more secure.
“It is very worrying, I think regulation could be possible”, summarised Sophie in ‘t Veld (Renew Europe, Netherlands). (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)