Four convicted over spyware scandal that shook Greece

In Greece, four individuals were convicted of misdemeanors related to the 2022 "Greece's Watergate" scandal, involving the illegal use of Predator spyware. The spyware, marketed by Intellexa, targeted 87 individuals, including government officials, military personnel, and journalists, by accessing their personal data and communications. The Athens court found the four guilty of violating telephone confidentiality and illegally accessing personal data, sentencing them to suspended jail terms. The scandal began when Nikos Androulakis, head of the Greek Socialist party, discovered he was targeted by the spyware and tracked by Greek intelligence. While the Prime Minister called it a scandal, critics accuse the government of a cover-up, as no government officials have been charged. The case has sparked debate over democratic accountability in Greece.

In February 2026, a Greek court found four individuals, including two Israelis, guilty of crimes related to a 2022 wiretapping scandal. The charges included breaching the confidentiality of telephone communications, tampering with personal data, and illegal access to information systems. The case, dubbed the "Greek Watergate," involved the use of Predator spyware to target politicians, journalists, and other prominent figures. Among those convicted was Tal Dilian, founder of Intellexa, the company that marketed Predator in Greece, along with his business partner and two former Greek executives. The court issued a combined sentence of 126 years and eight months, with eight years to be served, though the defendants will remain free pending appeal. The scandal emerged in early 2022 after a journalist discovered he was being wiretapped and his phone infected with Predator software.