Spyware misuse by authorities threatens the very foundations of democratic societies. This illegal intrusion into people’s privacy violates fundamental rights, erodes trust in state institutions, impedes free political competition and puts elections results into question. Therefore, a responsible use of spyware requires transparent and effective mechanisms with democratic oversight. Spyware misuse poses a threat to the life and safety of any targeted person. Whilst government agencies claim to use spyware only for (serious) crime, research disclosed the widespread and unlawful surveillance of individuals which violates privacy rights and has generated information that contributed to further human rights violations. A general lack of national and international regulation and oversight has opened gateways to the misuse of spyware, as companies can sell to even the most notorious dictatorships, who otherwise would not be able to develop such spyware capabilities themselves. Spyware companies have developed a lucrative business model by scouring for and exploiting the weaknesses of IT systems to infiltrate private devices with spyware. By purchasing spyware from these companies, EU Member States have therefore not only contributed to security risks and fundamental rights abuses within Europe, but also outside of it as many spyware companies rely on the European market to legitimise their businesses.