EU lawmakers issued anti-spy pouches ahead of Hungary visit amid growing surveillance concerns

Members of the European Parliament were offered special pouches to protect digital devices from espionage and tampering for a visit to Hungary this week, a sign of rising spying fears within Europe.  

Five lawmakers from the Parliament’s civil liberties committee traveled to Hungary on Monday for a three-day visit to inspect the EU member country’s progress on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights.  

One lawmaker on the trip confirmed to POLITICO that the Parliament officials joining the delegation were offered Faraday bags — special metal-lined pouches that block electromagnetic signals — by the Parliament’s services and were also advised to be cautious about using public Wi-Fi networks or charging facilities.

Hungary has previously come under fire from EU lawmakers for its use of spyware. The Parliament’s special inquiry committee into the use of spyware (PEGA) in 2023 conducted a fact-finding mission after revelations that intrusion software had been used against opposition figures, journalists and civil society in the country. 

Hungary also faced EU scrutiny after Belgian and Hungarian media reported late last year that its intelligence agency had spied on EU officials visiting the country in 2015-2017, searching their hotel rooms and recording their phone conversations. The Hungarian government dismissed the reports.

Budapest and Brussels have been on a collision course for years over EU criticism that the government led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has curtailed fundamental rights and democratic checks and balances. The EU triggered a formal Article 7 procedure over rule-of-law issues against Hungary in 2018.

The delegation of civil liberties lawmakers this week is headed by Dutch Greens’ member Tineke Strik. It includes Belgian liberal member Sophie Wilmès, Spanish left-wing member Pernando Barrena Arza, Polish social democrat member Krzysztof Śmiszek and Polish center-right member Michał Wawrykiewicz.  

Faraday bags are used to keep devices safe from interference from hackers, as well as from other kinds of tracking or surveillance, by blocking incoming and outgoing signals.

Two officials with knowledge of the Parliament’s security policies, granted anonymity to discuss internal protocols, told POLITICO that the use of the pouches was not common for members’ trips and travel.

The European Commission in 2018 also published a call for tender to suppliers of the special pouches.

EU burner phones

The news of the use of the anti-spying pouches comes shortly after a report in the Financial Times that some Commission officials heading to the United States were being issued burner phones and basic laptops to avoid espionage risks. 

The Commission in a statement on Tuesday denied giving guidance to its staff recommending the use of burner phones while on official missions in the U.S. 

The EU executive occasionally gives burner phones to its top officials for sensitive travel, if they’re handling extremely confidential matters.

Such a protocol is more common for trips to countries like China that pose a heightened risk of state espionage and surveillance. 

The European Parliament member said the officials that joined the Hungary trip this week were not proactively given devices such as burner phones or basic laptops.  

When asked whether these kinds of devices were made available to Parliament officials on the Hungary trip or other missions, a press officer at the Parliament’s spokesperson service declined to give details.

“All the necessary assessments are in place to ensure the development of committee fact-finding missions while ensuring [the] Parliament’s duty of care for [elected] members and staff,” the press officer said in a statement.  

Lawmakers are “periodically briefed” on security and cybersecurity measures while on mission and “supporting materials in this regard are also made available to MEPs," the statement said.