She testified before the Pega Committee, which is investigating the wiretapping case, providing shocking details about how her cell phone was bugged, Artemis Seaford. His former security chief Facebook, whose cell phone She was targeted via text message regarding her COVID-19 vaccination, she stressed that if she—who is neither a politician, nor a public figure, nor a party member, nor a journalist—was targeted, then no one should feel safe.
«I am not a politician, I am not a public figure, I am not a member of any political party, nor am I a journalist. I am a private citizen, a citizen of a country with strong democratic traditions and a commitment to the rule of law. If someone like me is standing before you today to discuss the fact that I was targeted by the Predator, »It seems that no one can expect to be safe," Artemis Seaford said at the outset.
On orders from Maximos, Artemis Seiford's filing with PEGA has disappeared from the #ΜΜΕ_losers
The former Facebook security chief who was lured into a trap by Predator has captivated MEPs and shocked them with her revelations about the tactics of the Mitsotakis regime. pic.twitter.com/DCI7m3Kfkx— Marka2‼️ (@Marka2free) April 20, 2023
She then emphasized that she was being monitored at the same time by the EYP. «Not only did these two occur simultaneously, as in other cases, but in my case they were used to target me with Predator. The combination of state power on the one hand and the technological capabilities of malicious software on the other—as in other incidents—is truly terrifying. Following the revelation of the scandal, one must examine how the state and the Mitsotakis government reacted and what this means for scandals of this magnitude that come to light. We must examine the Mitsotakis government’s instinct for self-preservation—aimed at limiting the political cost— with state authorities downplaying the scandal and victims unable to hold those responsible to account, as well as for better oversight of intelligence agencies and the use of malicious software.».
Artemis Seaford then stated: «I am a Greek citizen; I was born and raised in Greece. I left during the economic crisis, like many in my generation, in search of better educational and job opportunities. It was my generation in particular that, four years ago, was very enthusiastic when the government took office, believing it would mark a new chapter of economic stability, institutional and social progress. That is why it is sad for my generation to witness the erosion of progressive institutions and the regression of the rule of law in light of the wiretapping scandal.’.
«In the fall of 2021, I made an appointment to get vaccinated. In Greece, as in other countries, this was done through a government online platform, which I used to book the appointment. The government sent text messages before the appointment date to remind me of my vaccination appointment. I received a few; they included the time, location, and venue of the appointment. A few hours after one of them, I received another text message. It looked exactly like the others, with the time, place, and location. The only difference in this message is that it included a request to confirm the appointment and a link, which I clicked on without suspecting anything. I received other text messages afterward, one day before the appointment,» he said, adding: «A year later, I had no reason to suspect anything. Then I saw media reports about a large number of people—public figures, politicians, and private citizens—who were allegedly targeted by Predator. At first I didn’t believe it; it seemed far-fetched to me that something like that could happen in Greece. It’s not a country with that kind of “tradition.” And then I saw my name and realized that something must be very wrong, because no one would have had any reason to falsely include my name on this list if it weren’t true. I’m not a public figure; there’s no reason for me to be on this list.».
Artemis Seaford reported that she contacted Citizen Lab, and they offered to perform a remote scan of her cell phone, which confirmed that she had been targeted by Predator, via the specific malicious link in the aforementioned text message. «I realized it had come from a different number, which pretended to be from a government agency, with the link pretending to come from the government platform, with a subtle difference that was hard to notice. It redirected me to another domain and infected me with Predator. I can’t interpret this information any other way than to conclude that whoever sent me the malicious link had access not only to the information from my previous text messages regarding the time, the time, place, and location of my vaccination, but also to “inject” the malicious text message among the normal ones, a few hours after the first ones arrived and before the last ones were sent.
So, I wasn’t surprised when, a few days later, I learned from media leaks that I was being monitored by the intelligence agencies. The surveillance had begun a few months before the Predator attack and lasted an entire year; there were six renewals, which is a very high number, as you can imagine.».
«I felt extremely shocked, alone, abused, and tainted by something digital that repels others and makes them keep their distance from me. And at the same time, I was afraid that if I spoke out and protested, these forces would try to discredit me, insinuate that there were valid reasons for me to be targeted, that I had done something wrong,» Ms. Seifert continued.».
«I looked into what I could do. I said, “I’m a victim of a crime. Surely the government will step in to support me and provide me with the means to hold those responsible accountable”. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the reality. To my great disappointment, after the first case of simultaneous surveillance using a Predator drone and wiretapping by the EYP involving journalist T. Koukakis came to light, the Mitsotakis government enacted legislation blocking the ability to inform the individuals who were targeted,» he added.
«I work on security issues and understand the state’s need to protect its interests at the expense of keeping those under surveillance informed… but the fact that the ability to inform surveillance targets was blocked right when the scandal broke, which affected so many people that no one could imagine any reason why they would be considered a threat to national security, leaves no room for anyone to interpret this action as having been taken in good faith. I filed a complaint with the courts, as did others. To date, despite the ongoing investigation, no charges have been filed and no one has been indicted. I have little hope that anyone who knows what happened will be found, much less that there will be any accountability. »To this day, I don’t know why I was targeted; I can’t think of any valid reason—or even a baseless one—that would explain why anyone would take such an interest in me,” said Ms. Seiford.
«I had at least the hope that the government would seize the opportunity to implement reforms regarding malware, both in relation to intelligence agencies and corporate versions. Unfortunately, that hope, too, was brutally dashed. Few positive measures were taken, such as a clear ban on the use and sale of commercial versions. However, very little was said about what a government can actually do. At the same time, the ability of the competent independent authority to oversee these matters was not improved, and confusion arose regarding its responsibilities and capabilities. Crucially, those who have been targeted for three years have been prevented from obtaining information. Thus, for three years, people like me have been unable to go to the authorities and find out what happened… and furthermore, the majority of the relevant committee is made up of the very same people who initially issued the surveillance orders. There is a clear conflict of interest,» he emphasized. «What does this mean for us, for me, for other people in my position whom I’ve spoken with? They feel terrible, they find it hard to speak out; they have everything to lose and very little to gain, especially when there is no clear process leading to accountability—something very sad for my country.».
«If nothing else concerns you, consider the fact that malware is being used within Greece, combined with state-sponsored surveillance, as the evidence suggests, while the lack of oversight and the export of malware under state supervision are catalytic factors, even to countries such as Sudan, where a civil war is underway, as well as to Madagascar and Bangladesh. People are dying, and paradoxically, this “booms back” as a threat to the European Union’s national security when “bad actors” on the international stage acquire such technology because it is exported from EU countries themselves,» Ms. Seiford emphasized.
In closing, he expressed the hope that the case of the Mitsotakis government «would serve as a catalyst for the need to take action at the European Union level, given that individual countries cannot adequately protect their citizens or curb the use of this malicious software on their own.».
