Hungarian spy agency allegedly hacks EU anti-fraud officials' devices

In Hungary, from 2015 to 2017, the Információs Hivatal spy agency is accused of conducting espionage activities against officials from the EU Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) during their trips to Budapest. A collaborative investigation by the Belgian daily De Tijd and the Hungarian NGO Direkt36 has revealed that these officials were allegedly subjected to undue surveillance, which included following them physically, hacking their devices, and invading their hotel rooms while they were in the city. This extensive monitoring was apparently motivated by OLAF's investigation into potential misuse of EU funds involving a company linked to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's family. Reports suggest that the espionage activities involved not only foreign EU officials but also Hungarian nationals working within European institutions. Some of these individuals were allegedly coerced into cooperating with the spy agency. The investigation found that the Információs Hivatal had developed a dedicated division for monitoring EU institutions, raising serious concerns about its implications for diplomatic relations within the EU. The specific actions taken by the Hungarian intelligence services included tracking the movements of OLAF investigators, recording their phone conversations, and eavesdropping on private meetings. Although these alleged activities primarily took place during the aforementioned time frame, it remains uncertain whether similar behavior was observed in subsequent years. If these allegations are confirmed, they would represent a significant breach of trust and an unprecedented incident of espionage conducted by a member state against EU officials, marking a troubling trend of state-sponsored spying that has reportedly characterized the Orbán government. Notably, the Hungarian government has faced prior accusations regarding espionage tactics, particularly in relation to journalists and political opponents, suggesting a broader, more systemic issue within the country’s intelligence practices.