Spyware Targets MEP Daniel Freund Before EU Elections
German Member of the European Parliament, Daniel Freund, revealed that he was targeted by sophisticated spyware two weeks before the European Parliament elections. Politico provided a detailed account of the incident.
Freund is well-known for his staunch advocacy for transparency and integrity in Brussels, as well as his frequent criticism of the Hungarian government led by Viktor Orbán. Freund noted that the European Parliament successfully thwarted the hacking attempt, which could have granted the perpetrators complete access to the politician’s device. In the lead-up to the June European Parliament elections, the institution was on high alert for cyberattacks and foreign interference.
The incident occurred on May 27, when Freund received an email purportedly from a student at Kyiv International University, inviting him to participate in a seminar on Ukraine’s prospects for joining the EU. The sender invited Freund to write a brief message for the students and included a link that, if clicked, could have installed spyware on the recipient’s device.
Freund did not click the link, thereby avoiding infection. The Parliament warned Freund that the link contained spyware likely developed by the Israeli company Candiru, blacklisted by the US government in 2021. Candiru’s spyware is designed for covert access to the devices of activists, journalists, and politicians.
Freund speculated that the attack might be linked to his initiative to suspend Hungary’s presidency of the EU Council. While he did not directly accuse Hungary, he suspects its involvement. The actual source of the attack remains unidentified, and a European Parliament spokesperson declined to comment on the incident. The Hungarian government also did not provide any comments.
The incident heightened concerns about the use of spyware by European governments against their citizens. The issue of spyware in Europe is evident not only beyond its borders but also within them. It is well-documented that spyware has been used against opposition groups in Greece, Spain, Hungary, and Poland, a troubling trend for democratic states.
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