Greece Probes Phone-Tapping Allegation by Opposition Leader

Greece is probing allegations of phone-tapping by socialist leader Nikos Androulakis, who, earlier in the week, reported an attempt to compromise his mobile phone using Predator spyware.

An extraordinary meeting of the Parliament’s Institutions and Transparency Committee will be convened on Friday to discuss the allegations.

The head of the National Intelligence Service (EYP), Panagiotis Kontoleon, and the president of the independent Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE), Christos Rammos, will also attend the meeting.

Androulakis an MEP and the leader of PASOK-Movement for Change had his mobile phone scanned last month through a special European Parliament service, and the scan revealed a suspect link, which allows the hacker full and constant access to the mobile device, including to passwords, photos and contact folders, web browsing history, text messages, and voicemail among other things.

“Revealing who is behind such sick practices and on whose behalf they act is not a personal matter,” Androulakis said. “It is my democratic duty.”

Androulakis allegation to be “examined thoroughly”

Androulakis has also informed the European Union bodies, as well as members of the European Parliament, of Predator illegal spyware on his mobile phone.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had contacted Parliament Speaker Kostas Tasoulas in the wake of Androulakis’ complaint, asking for the parliamentary meeting to be convened as soon as possible.

The government has stated that the aim is for the issue to be examined thoroughly and immediately so that no doubts or shadows are cast that would influence the political climate and public discourse.

Google warnings about the powerful Predator spyware

Researchers from Google’s Threat Analysis Group TAG recently warned about the powerful Predator spyware that is targeting Android devices worldwide.

“We assess with high confidence that these exploits were packaged by a single commercial surveillance company, Cytrox, and sold to different government-backed actors who used them in at least the three campaigns discussed below,” said Google TAG members Clement Lecigne and Christian Resell.

The government-backed malicious actors who purchased and used these exploits to infect Android targets with spyware are from Egypt, Armenia, Greece, Madagascar, Côte d’Ivoire, Serbia, Spain, and Indonesia, according to Google’s analysis.

Unlike traditional malware, spyware like Predator and Pegasus is used against high-value targets, such as journalists and politicians.