EU law to protect journalists from spyware takes effect therecord.media/eu-law-to…

A landmark law meant to protect journalists in the European Union from spyware and other forms of surveillance came into effect Friday, but critics at press freedoms groups say the measure could ultimately prove toothless.

EU countries have done little to “align domestic legislation with the rules outlined by the EMFA (the European Media Freedoms Act), despite having had more than one year to do so,” a coalition of press freedom groups said in a joint statement, referring to EMFA’s adoption in March 2024.

“Regrettably, we are deeply concerned that many national governments are neither prepared nor politically willing to make the required legislative changes,” the statement said. “This lack of commitment poses a serious risk to the EMFA’s effectiveness.”

Even if member states were ready to enforce EMFA, critics have long warned that changes made after it was first proposed to much fanfare in 2022 have considerably weakened its surveillance protections.