This petition is run by WeMove Europe

Why is this important?

On 10 June 2020, Elisenda Paluzie — a prominent Catalan academic and economist — received a notification on her phone. It appeared to be a Twitter update, linking to a local newspaper. She clicked on the notification without giving it a second thought.

From that moment, her phone was hacked with Pegasus software, and her attackers could gather data from her phone, activate the microphone and camera covertly, take screenshots and track the phone’s location — all without her knowledge. [1, 2] 

But Paluzie is not alone. The use of this sophisticated surveillance technology is already underway across Europe. So far, Poland, Hungary, Greece and Spain have been accused of using spyware to target journalists, opposition politicians and civil society groups. [3] And a new, explosive report by the European Parliament says that “all 27 EU countries have spyware at their disposal — even if they refuse to admit it.” [4] 

That’s where we come in. This is a full-blown scandal, but there’s something missing: a huge public outcry. A big petition signed by thousands of us will show the EU lawmakers that these violations can no longer be ignored.

Experts are calling for a ban on spyware until proper regulation to protect citizens is in place. [5] If you agree, can you add your name?

References:

1. https://euobserver.com/rule-of-law/156490
2. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/jul/18/what-is-pegasus-spyware-and-how-does-it-hack-phones
3. https://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/experts-eu-regulation-of-spy-software-needed-but-unlikely/
4. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/11/08/eu-democracy-is-under-attack-by-mercenary-spyware-claims-new-report
5. https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-spyware-probe-problem-spain-pedro-sanchez-margaritas-robles/