Victims of Predatorgate are suing the spyware company Intellexa.

      The Predator spyware controversy in Greece has now entered the judicial system. Eight individuals who were targeted are seeking €1 million each from the company that created the spyware.

      According to Reuters, the eight victims of the "Predatorgate" wiretapping incident have filed a lawsuit against the Athens-based surveillance firm Intellexa and 13 associated individuals. They are collectively demanding €8 million in moral damages. Their attorney, Zacharias Kesses, has indicated that more legal actions are on the horizon.

      Timeline of Predatorgate

      The incident became public in 2022 when a financial journalist and a leader of a center-left political party reported that the government had used Predator, Intellexa’s premier spyware, to monitor their phones. Subsequent investigations revealed the presence of the spyware on numerous other devices.

      The repercussions were immediate; Greece dismissed the head of its EYP intelligence agency and the chief of staff to the prime minister. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ center-right administration denied political involvement, characterized the surveillance of an adversary as a mistake, and successfully faced a no-confidence vote in 2023.

      The accused company

      The lawsuit implicates Intellexa SA and 13 individuals, including its Israeli founder Tal Dilian. All eight plaintiffs had their phones identified as compromised by Predator. They are claiming damages for the illegal infringement of their privacy, communications, and personal data.

      Predator is considered one of the most advanced spyware tools available. Previous reports have indicated that it targets individuals through SMS links, taking advantage of zero-day vulnerabilities in Chrome and Android, according to The Register.

      The criminal proceedings are more advanced. In February, a Greek court convicted Dilian and three others for breaching data confidentiality during 2020 and 2021. Each received a nominal sentence of 126 years, which is limited to a maximum of eight years under Greek law. Dilian has described the verdict as baseless and plans to appeal in December.

      Importance of the case

      The United States acted first by imposing sanctions on Intellexa and related companies in Ireland, North Macedonia, and Hungary in 2024. The Trump administration subsequently lifted some of those sanctions this year. Greece is not isolated in this issue, as similar spyware scandals have also surfaced in Spain, Hungary, and Poland.

      Advocates have recently called on the EU to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for each cyber attack, especially with a new Pegasus case involving one of its lawmakers. The government continues to deny any wrongdoing, leaving the victims to pursue claims against the vendor instead. This lawsuit will explore whether a spyware manufacturer, rather than the government that purchased the software, can be held financially accountable.

      The court will hear the case in April, contributing to a broader movement to regulate an industry that thrives on increasing surveillance.