When a European Parliament panel probing spyware abuses on the continent approached the Polish government almost two years ago, officials in Warsaw re

Inside Poland’s groundbreaking effort to reckon with spyware abuses

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2024-05-16 01:30:03

When a European Parliament panel probing spyware abuses on the continent approached the Polish government almost two years ago, officials in Warsaw refused to meet them. The government flatly asserted that it was operating under the law and largely stonewalled the investigation.

Two years later, the government accused of abusing that tool is out of power, and Poland is establishing itself as a trailblazer in how to reckon with spyware abuse by investigating the previous government’s use of the technology and disclosing to victims whether they were targeted.

“What’s happening in Poland is basically unprecedented for spyware abuse accountability,” said John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab, which worked to uncover spyware abuses by the government in Warsaw. “Poland was a very dark spot in the spyware abuse space. And suddenly it is becoming the obvious leader in accountability around spyware abuse. This is remarkable.”

In April, Poland’s national prosecutor revealed that the government led by the conservative Law and Justice Party targeted nearly 600 people for Pegasus surveillance between 2017 and 2022. Criminal charges could be on the way. Additionally, Poland has signed onto a Biden administration pledge to encourage like-minded nations to counter the proliferation and misuse of spyware.