💻 In FTM’s latest podcast, @vaspanagiotopoulos.com reveals how EU funds have gone to spyware firms linked to human rights abuses – companies now profiting from taxpayers’ money.

⚠️ Since publication, 39 MEPs have urged the European Commission to act over EU subsidies financing spyware firms.

Meanwhile, @apache.be revealed that the 🇪🇺 European Investment Fund (EIF) provided venture capital to another major #spyware player – Paragon Solutions.

➡️ apache.be/2025/10/01/e...

👀 Read my full investigation here:
www.ftm.eu/articles/spy...

⚠️ Since the piece was published, 39 MEPs from 4 political groups have written to the @ec.europa.eu to express their "deep concerns" that EU subsidies, alongside national taxpayer funds, have directly financed #spyware companies.

Really enjoyed speaking with @emmaduchatinier.bsky.social and @alexfanta.bsky.social on the @ftm.eu podcast about my investigation into 🇪🇺European funding for commercial #spyware companies.

Thanks for having me! 🙏

📺 Watch: youtu.be/htXwY5KQzas?...

🎧 Listen: www.ftm.eu/articles/eur...

👏 Another win in court for @dannymekic.nl against “X”. Great news! However, it once again highlights the laxity of the public authorities in taking on the tech giants, leaving it to citizens and civil society to litigate. Private enforcement for want of public enforcement www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...

Great to see the impressive agenda for Binding Hook Live is now public! I'm really excited for this event!

🇺🇸House Democrats — @summerlee.bsky.social @repshontelbrown.bsky.social @repyassansari.bsky.social — question DHS over ICE’s contract with #Paragon, which I uncovered for @wired.com.

🚫They warn it could “threatens Americans’ freedom of movement & freedom of speech.”

cyberscoop.com/house-dems-s...

A 23% increase in 🇬🇷state interceptions without justification, citing "national security", was recorded in 2024 according to the new annual report by privacy watchdog ADAE.

www.dnews.gr/eidhseis/pol...

Only by combining Rome Statute prosecutions with complementary measures –such as sanctions, export controls & civil litigation– can the intl. community build a robust framework for accountability for #spyware harms.

✍️ @hrcberkeley.bsky.social's Lindsay Freeman.

www.justsecurity.org/118463/rome-...

Background:
➡️ www.wired.com/story/ice-pa...

➡️ www.wired.com/story/ice-pa...

➡️ jackpoulson.substack.com/p/exclusive-...

🇺🇸House Democrats — @summerlee.bsky.social @repshontelbrown.bsky.social @repyassansari.bsky.social — question DHS over ICE’s contract with #Paragon, which I uncovered for @wired.com.

🚫They warn it could “threatens Americans’ freedom of movement & freedom of speech.”

cyberscoop.com/house-dems-s...

Signal to leave EU rather than comply w/ Chat Control, which would scan all messages sent over end-to-end encrypted platforms. Vote on Chat Control's future Oct 14. Germany is the swing vote. Officials there opposed the measure in past but new govt silent re position
therecord.media/signal-calls...

📣 Germany's close to reversing its opposition to mass surveillance & private message scanning, & backing the Chat Control bill. This could end private comms-& Signal-in the EU.

Time's short and they're counting on obscurity: please let German politicians know how horrifying their reversal would be.

NEW: ICE is planning to hire a team of nearly 30 people to surveil social media 24/7, build dossiers on people, and flag them for arrest and deportation. @dell.bsky.social has the scoop: www.wired.com/story/ice-so...

39 members of Europe's Parliament on Monday sent EC leadership a letter decrying the fact that state $ has been used to fund mercenary commercial spyware companies (eg Cy4Gate and Intellexa). Letter follows investigation by @vaspanagiotopoulos.com for Follow the Money
therecord.media/european-par...

"An arsenal of angry 🇪🇺 European Parliament members (MEPs) is demanding answers from senior commissioners about why EU subsidies are ending up in the pockets of spyware companies."

www.theregister.com/2025/10/02/e...

Some additional proof that the #Paragon #spyware scandal is, in fact, very much home grown.

A new report by @smex.org, with support from @find.ngo & @accessnow.org, concludes that NSO Group, Cytrox/Intellexa, Cellebrite, and Saito Tech/Candiru are the most active commercial #spyware vendors in West Asia & 🌍North Africa.

smex.org/new-research...

⚠️ Chartwell Strategy Group has parted ways with the embattled Israeli #spyware firm NSO Group. The split includes both 🇺🇸lobbying and comms work, Chartwell’s David Tamasi told @politico.com.

www.politico.com/newsletters/...

NEW: The U.K. government is reportedly once again requesting Apple build a backdoor so government officials can access end-to-end encrypted iCloud backups in the U.K.

Last time this happened, Apple disabled iCloud's Advanced Data Protection, the opt-in feature that lets users encypt cloud backups.

Research by @citizenlab.ca @amnesty.org @accessnow.org and others has shown numerous European companies abuse spyware to target activists, journalists, and others

Now we see EU funds have actually helped finance spyware development too

See apache.be/2025/10/01/e...

NEW: turns out the EU helped finance a bunch of spyware companies with..public money.

Extremely bad look.

Group of MEPs calls for action.👇

apache.be/2025/10/01/e...

#EU funds are financing #spyware companies. That's a betrayal of our own rules & fundamental rights. The EU can’t do both: defending citizens rights & subsidising their surveillance.

Our letter urging the @ec.europa.eu for transparency & following up on PEGA recommendations:

🚨 The 🇪🇺 European Investment Fund (EIF), provided venture capital for Israeli #spyware firm Paragon Solutions, confirmed a spokesperson for the European Investment Bank Group, to which the EIF belongs, @apache.be is reporting.

apache.be/2025/10/01/e...