A Greek court just handed down an eight-year prison sentence to Tal Dilian, the founder of Intellexa, a notorious spyware consortium that's been on regulators' radar for years. The conviction stems from the "Greek Watergate" scandal that erupted in 2022, when authorities uncovered illegal surveillance targeting politicians and journalists. Three other Intellexa executives were also convicted in what marks one of the first major criminal convictions against commercial spyware operators in Europe.
The verdict lands as governments worldwide grapple with how to regulate the shadowy commercial spyware industry. Intellexa, which develops the Predator surveillance tool capable of silently infiltrating smartphones, has been operating in a legal gray zone for years, selling its technology to government clients across dozens of countries.
Tal Dilian didn't appear in court for the sentencing. The Israeli-born entrepreneur has kept a low profile since the Greek Watergate scandal broke, when investigators discovered that his company's tools were used to monitor opposition politicians, journalists, and business leaders without proper legal authorization. The operation reportedly ran for months before whistleblowers exposed it in 2022.
The Greek prosecution centered on charges that Intellexa provided both the technology and operational support for the illegal surveillance campaign. According to court documents, the spyware was deployed against at least 33 targets, including the leader of Greece's third-largest political party and several investigative journalists covering government corruption. The revelations triggered a political crisis that eventually led to the resignation of Greece's intelligence chief.
Intelleza's Predator spyware works by exploiting vulnerabilities in mobile operating systems, allowing operators to access everything from encrypted messages to live microphone feeds. The tool has been detected in surveillance operations across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Security researchers at have documented Predator infections in over a dozen countries, often targeting civil society activists and opposition figures.
