EU member states have approved draft legislation allowing governments to spy on journalists in the name of “national security.”  The Council published a draft of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) last week that would extend media surveillance powers, including placing spyware on journalists’ phones. The original purpose of the EMFA was to safeguard media independence and pluralism. First presented by the Commission last September, the act was hailed as a major step forward for the protection of press freedom.  But earlier this month, France introduced an exception to the ban on deploying spyware against journalists, provided it was used…

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