The European Commission (EC) has called on EU countries to limit the use of surveillance software, stating that member states cannot freely employ such tools based solely on concerns about national security threats.
According to Report, which cites Politico, the EC emphasized in a document that "the scope of requirements relating to the maintenance of national security cannot be determined unilaterally by each Member State without any control by the EU institutions."
The Commission insists that the use of spyware should only be permitted with judicial authorization. Furthermore, Brussels argues that individuals targeted by surveillance should be informed once the monitoring has concluded. The EC believes that the application of such software should be restricted to "serious crimes, such as child sexual abuse, murder, money laundering, drug trafficking, and corruption."