In the run-up to the European Parliament’s vote on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), scheduled on 3 October 2023, over 500 journalists have signed the letter calling on MEPs to introduce an absolute ban on the deployment of spyware against journalists.
Journalists’ open letter to Members of the European Parliament calling for the absolute prohibition of spyware surveillance:
Dear honorable members of the European Parliament,
Ahead of the upcoming vote of the draft report on the proposed European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), journalists in Europe are urging you to introduce an absolute ban on the surveillance of journalists through spyware in this text.
Some of us, and many of our colleagues across Europe and the world, have been unlawfully targeted in the past years, including by EU Member States. Some of whom have used intrusive surveillance weapons against us, threatening and potentially breaching confidential communications with our sources, invading our private lives and putting our safety at risk.
Spyware is today a major threat to press freedom. It gives access to a disproportionate and unrestricted amount of data: all the individual’s communications, photos, contacts and online behaviour data are collected – without the knowledge of the victim. The EU must urgently put an end to it.
For us journalists, digital security and data integrity are essential to guarantee our safety, and confidentiality and protection to our sources. We must be able to trust our devices and channels of communications in order to provide public interest and quality journalism.
Several EU governments have infected journalists’ phones with spyware while using national security as a pretext. Including the same grounds in future legislation would threaten our ability to hold governments to account, which is a cornerstone of EU democratic values. We need full and immediate protection.
Although a number of safeguards have been considerably added in the course of parliamentary work, too many loopholes remain. The European Parliament can still close them and offer us the shield we need from illegal surveillance.
We call on you today to completely prohibit the use of spyware against journalists in the EMFA.
