EDPS Preliminary Remarks on Modern Spyware

The revelations made about the Pegasus spyware raised very serious questions about the possible impact of modern spyware tools on fundamental rights, and particularly on the rights to privacy and data protection. This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing assessment in the EU and globally of the unprecedented risks posed by this type of surveillance technology. It comes from the EDPS’ conviction that the use of Pegasus might lead to an unprecedented level of intrusiveness, which threatens the essence of the right to privacy, as the spyware is able to interfere with the most intimate aspects of our daily lives.