Media freedom: Pirates call for protection of journalists from spyware without exceptions

Strasbourg, 03/10/2023 – Today, the European Parliament will decide its position on the ‘Media Freedom Act’, the new law for freedom of press in the EU. The rules are designed to better protect journalists from arbitrary content removal on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter and from spyware attacks, such as the Pegasus software. While Pirates support the bill, they demand a complete ban on spying on journalists. Their group has accordingly tabled amendments.

Patrick Breyer, Member of the European Parliament for the German Pirate Party, comments:

“The media freedom law is a milestone in the protection of journalists in Europe and I am proud that Pirates have contributed to the success of the text. With the new rules, not only media representatives but also their sources, such as whistleblowers, will be better protected. However, it is now necessary to eliminate loopholes that would justify spyware attacks. That is why we Pirates, via our parliamentary group, have tabled amendments to ban spyware attacks without loopholes. Freedom of press is one of the highest values in liberal democracies and requires special protection. We must not allow politically motivated autocratic surveillance attacks to undermine it.”