Greece has yet to advance a new legal framework governing the use of advanced phone surveillance systems, with journalist Vassilis A. Lampropoulos saying concerns over the public reaction to the Predator spyware scandal are delaying the legislation.
Speaking on Mega News 104.6, Lampropoulos discussed the latest developments surrounding the Predator case and the use of surveillance technology by law enforcement agencies.
“The legislative framework to make legal use of the system possible is not being sent to Parliament out of fear of the media noise because of the surveillance scandal,” Lampropoulos said.
The Predator case involved the targeting of 107 phones belonging to journalists, politicians, businesspeople, private citizens, judges and police officers, according to the report.
New surveillance technology
Lampropoulos said that following the archiving of the case, the trial and threats involving Intellexa, similar systems are now being used legally in several countries, which established the necessary legal frameworks after the issue emerged in 2020-22.
He cited the United States, Britain, Italy and Germany as countries that have introduced legislation allowing law enforcement authorities to use such systems as a tool against organized crime and for public safety.
According to Lampropoulos, newer systems can infiltrate a suspect’s phone without requiring a text message to be sent, provided there is a prosecutor’s order.
They can also monitor applications such as Viber and WhatsApp, overcoming technical limitations of older systems that were restricted to 4G and 5G networks, he said.
Greece has yet to advance legislation
In Greece, however, the relevant legislation has not yet been submitted to Parliament because of concerns about the public reaction in light of the previous surveillance scandal, according to Lampropoulos.
He said the delay is also holding back the modernization of the systems available to the country’s relevant services.
Lampropoulos said Greece’s Anti-Terrorist Service, National Intelligence Service and police currently have older surveillance systems, while most European countries have already moved to newer technologies.
He argued that the issue requires a clear legal framework and effective oversight.
“There needs to be an absolute legal framework and control, as is the case in other countries, so that citizens are protected from organized crime and criminal acts are prevented,” he said.
At the same time, he highlighted concerns over the potential illegal use of such surveillance systems, saying that these concerns have contributed to the reluctance surrounding the new legislation.
