Wiretapping scandal: Spyware manufacturer sentenced to prison in Greece

A court in Greece on Thursday sentenced Intellexa founder Tal Dilian to eight years in prison for illegal wiretapping and data protection violations. The Greek daily Kathimerini reported on this, among others. Intellexa is a corporate alliance of several spyware manufacturers, primarily known for the Predator spyware.

Dilian, a former Israeli army officer, and three other Intellexa executives stood trial for their role in a wiretapping scandal uncovered in 2022. The case involved illegal spying on politicians, journalists, business leaders, and high-ranking military personnel using the Predator spyware developed by Intellexa. The case also became known as the “Greek Watergate.” In addition to Dilian, his business partner Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou, his former deputy CEO and shareholder of Intellexa, Felix Bitzios, and Yiannis Lavranos, whose company Krikel had purchased the spyware, were convicted. The defendants deny involvement in illegal activities.

Predator is considered sophisticated spyware. New investigations by the Threat Labs team paint a picture of malware whose technical level far exceeds previous assumptions. The developers have thus implemented functions that serve not only pure espionage. Rather, the program actively defends itself against detection and learns from mistakes.

The case in Greece is the first known instance where a spyware manufacturer is sentenced to prison for misusing its technology. The court found the four defendants guilty of unlawfully accessing private communication systems and data multiple times, as well as violating data protection laws. The court rejected mitigating circumstances and imposed a total prison sentence of 126 years and eight months, of which eight years must be served. The court ordered investigations into further individuals. The convicted can appeal.

“Greek Watergate”

The surveillance scandal came to light in the summer of 2022 after the chairman of the opposition party PASOK, Nikos Androulakis, was informed that his smartphone had been infected with Intellexa's Predator spyware. He was a Member of the European Parliament. The Greek government later admitted that Androulakis was being monitored by the Greek intelligence service EYP, but spoke of classical telecommunications surveillance.

Gradually, it emerged that dozens of politicians, businessmen, and journalists were being spyed on via their mobile phones. The scandal eventually led to the resignation of the head of intelligence and a senior advisor to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

In 2023, the US government imposed sanctions on Intellexa. The company's spyware tools pose a threat to US national security, according to the US Department of Commerce department responsible. Furthermore, the tools threaten the privacy and security of individuals and organizations worldwide. In early 2024, the US government intensified its actions and, for the first time, imposed sanctions on founders and leading figures of spyware companies, including Dilian and his right-hand man Hamou. Now, both even have to go to prison.

(akn)