United StatesA European politician and former journalist, Stelios Kouloglou, had his phone hacked with Pegasus spyware while serving on an investigatory committee examining the misuse of surveillance tools by European governments. Researchers from the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab confirmed the hacking occurred in 2022 and 2023, marking the first known case of a member of the European Parliament's PEGA committee being identified as a victim of spyware. Kouloglou described the incident as 'reckless,' and some lawmakers called it a direct attack on the rule of law, urging stricter regulations on spyware use. The hackers used a zero-click exploit targeting a vulnerability in Apple's iOS, which had already been patched but not applied to Kouloglou's device. While the perpetrators were not explicitly named, the use of a previously linked email address suggests potential ties to NSO Group, the Israeli firm behind Pegasus.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual findings from independent researchers and includes quotes from both victims and concerned officials without overtly favoring one side. It does not use emotionally charged language or selectively omit perspectives, maintaining a balanced tone.
