Banning Spyware: The Only Way to Preserve Online Privacy in the Digital Age

Three years have passed since the Pegasus scandal broke into the public eye, and yet, we’re still struggling to fix the surveillance industry. In fact, the problem has only gotten worse. That’s why a group of civil societies recently penned an open letter to EU regulators, urging them to take decisive action against the threats posed by spyware. The experts are clear: the EU Commission should propose a legal framework that includes a blanket ban on the production, export, sale, import, acquisition, transfer, servicing, and use of spyware.

The thing is, spyware is fundamentally incompatible with the concept of privacy. These tools are designed to collect sensitive information, from location data to messages and passwords, without the user’s knowledge or consent. And the worst part is, they’re often undetectable, making them a ticking time bomb for our privacy.

Take the Pegasus scandal, for instance. It’s been revealed that over 50,000 phones around the world were compromised, including those of journalists, politicians, and activists. It’s a Pandora’s box that’s been opened, and it’s hard to see how we can shut it back up.

We’ve seen how governments and companies alike have used spyware to track criminals, politicians, and even journalists. But the truth is, spyware can be a dangerous tool in anyone’s hands, including hackers, stalkers, and criminals. And with the rise of remote work, companies are increasingly using so-called “bossware” to monitor their employees. It’s a slippery slope, and one that can have devastating consequences.

So, what’s the solution? Regulating spyware use isn’t enough. We need a ban, plain and simple. It’s the only way to ensure that our privacy is protected. As the European Data Protection Supervisor put it, “the unprecedented level of intrusiveness of modern spyware threatens the essence of the right to privacy.” It’s a threat that we can’t ignore.

The UK and France recently led an international joint agreement to curb spyware’s human rights abuses, but it’s unclear how effective it will be. What’s clear, however, is that a ban is the only solution. As Natalia Krapiva, Tech legal counsel at Access Now, put it, “This sinister technology that has been misused and abused by governments around the world is not safe in any hands, and its use can never be justified. Discussions do not suffice. We expect action.”

It’s time for us to take a stand and demand a ban on spyware. Our privacy is at stake, and it’s the only way to ensure that our rights are protected.