Follow the Money: The Podcast European money is fueling the global spyware industry
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Oct 8, 2025 Vas Panagiotopoulos, an investigative journalist based in Australia, dives deep into the shadowy world of spyware funding. He reveals shocking insights into how European taxpayers unknowingly finance surveillance companies linked to human rights abuses. The discussion covers the devastating impacts of spyware on journalists and activists, the opaque funding mechanisms, and the alarming lack of oversight. Vas also highlights notorious firms profiting from these subsidies and why governments resist stricter regulations on surveillance practices.
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Spyware Reaches Democracies Too
- Spyware like Pegasus expanded beyond authoritarian states and implicated European democracies as well.
- The scandals didn't stop the industry's growth and even coincided with a market boom.
Greek Scandal Sparked Deep Research
- Vas investigated a massive Greek spyware scandal that targeted the political and business elite and journalists.
- He worked with Reporters Without Borders defending journalists and researching the industry's supply chains and funding.
Spyware Controls Entire Phones
- Spyware takes control of a phone, activating camera, mic, reading encrypted chats and geolocating users.
- Its main official use is crime and terrorism prevention, but it also enables repression of journalists and activists.