European money is fueling the global spyware industry episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 8, 2025 · 21 MIN

European money is fueling the global spyware industry

from Follow the Money: The Podcast · host Vas Panagiotopoulos, Alexander Fanta, Emma du Chatinier

A stranger reading your messages, tracking your movements, scrolling through your photos. That's what spyware can do – without you even knowing. It’s marketed as a tool to fight terrorism and crime, but it’s also used to silence journalists, activists, and political opponents. Greek journalist Vas Panagiotopoulos reveals how the EU and national governments give public funds to companies behind this powerful surveillance technology linked to human rights abuses and political repression. The same firms accused of helping authoritarian regimes are cashing in on European taxpayer money. Related stories ➪ https://www.ftm.eu/articles/spyware-industry-eu-subsidies-surveillance-concers Follow the podcast https://www.ftm.eu/podcast/follow-the-money-the-podcast Follow FTM on social media: Instagram ➪ https://www.instagram.com/followthemoney_eu/ BlueSky ➪ https://bsky.app/profile/ftm.eu LinkedIn ➪ https://www.linkedin.com/company/follow-the-money-eu/ Become a member and support independent investigative journalism! https://www.ftm.eu/become-member

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Oct 8, 2025

Embed this episode

Ready to play

European money is fueling the global spyware industry

0:00 21:34

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Follow the Money: The Podcast?

This episode is 21 minutes long.

When was this Follow the Money: The Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on October 8, 2025.

Can I download this Follow the Money: The Podcast episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!