News
The Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE) will check telco records for illegal surveillance requests made by Greek secret services
Last summer, Greece was rocked by a surveillance scandal, alleging that numerous journalists and politicians had been illegally spied upon by the government.
The issue first came to light when financial journalist Thanasis Koukakis reported that his phone had been hacked using Predator spyware.
Predator spyware requires the target to click a phishing link on their mobile phone, after which all calls, messages, photos, and video can be accessed by the spying party.
Soon afterwards, the issue grew to receive national coverage, as Nikos Androulakis, leader of the PASOK-KINAL opposition party and MEP, announced in June that he too had been a victim of a Predator spyware attack.
Since then, the scandal’s scope has grown ever broader, with a report in November suggesting that up to 33 journalists and politicians may have also been spied upon.
The Greek government has acknowledged a number of these surveillance operations, though insists that they were conducted legally, citing national security. They also deny purchasing Predator spyware.
Now, it seems that Greek telecoms operators are set to be probed in relation to the scandal, with local media reporting that ADAE are set to scrutinise telco records for surveillance requests from Greek intelligence agencies.
ADAE is set to put together a specific taskforce to oversee the investigation, using powers granted to it by the Greek Constitution to inspect the private data.
The ADAE has asked numerous politicians from opposition parties to provide phone numbers that will then be cross-referenced with telco records.
It is unclear when the results of this investigation will be announced but, with a legislative election set for July this year, the timing could not be worse for the incumbent New Democracy party.
Want to keep up to date with all the latest telecoms news from around the world? Register now to receive Total Telecom’s daily newsletter
Also in the news:
Resilience in the face of war: Kyivstar talks challenges and collaboration
BT seeks £100m in savings by merging global and enterprise units
Connected Britain Keynotes: CXO Spotlight
