Greek government promises to ban spyware attacks on journalists at the meeting with RSF

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) requested that the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and Government Spokesperson, Ioannis Oikonomou, initiate discussions for a complete reform of the legal safeguards against the arbitrary surveillance of journalists.

The recent revelations of the intelligence agency’s surveillance of reporters using spyware have increased the gap of mistrust between Greek journalists and the authorities, says Pavol Szalai, Head of RSF’s European Union and Balkans desk. He further stated that the new legal framework the government promised must be ambitious and properly consulted with the main stakeholders: journalists.

The government ‘will soon submit a bill to make the use of spyware illegal’, according to Ioannis Oikonomou, who also reiterated that Greek authorities have not acquired or used Predator, in response to Pavol Szalai’s call for spyware legislation.