Convicted spyware chief hints that Greece’s government was behind dozens of phone hacks

The head of Intellexa, a notorious spyware company, is set to challenge a Greek court's ruling that found him guilty of illegally accessing personal information linked to a large-scale phone tapping operation. This espionage incident, often dubbed “Greek Watergate,” saw the infiltration of devices belonging to high-ranking government officials, opposition figures, military leaders, and journalists using Intellexa's Predator spyware. Predator is notorious for its ability to infiltrate both iPhones and Android devices to extract sensitive data, including call logs, messages, emails, and location tracking, often through deceptive links. In the aftermath of the scandal, several top government officials, including the leader of Greece's national intelligence agency and a key aide to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, resigned as details emerged about the hacking of journalists’ phones. Despite the uproar, no government officials have faced legal consequences, leading critics to accuse the Mitsotakis administration of attempting to cover up the scandal. Tal Dilian, Intellexa's founder, was sentenced to eight years in prison this past February. In a recent statement to Reuters, he asserted that he refuses to be painted as a “scapegoat.” This assertion marks the strongest implication from Intellexa's leadership that the Greek government may have sanctioned the hacking activities. Dilian expressed his belief that a conviction without substantial evidence undermines justice, hinting at a potential cover-up. He has expressed readiness to provide evidence to both national and international regulatory bodies regarding the allegations. While Dilian has not yet commented on his remarks to TechCrunch, the Greek embassy in Washington, D.C., has not responded to inquiries. He also emphasized that technologies like Predator are typically sold exclusively to governmental entities, which are expected to use them within legal frameworks. Following the discovery that Predator was employed against U.S. officials and journalists, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on Dilian in 2024, effectively barring him and his associates from engaging in business transactions.