EncroChat

20.1.2021

Question for written answer  E-000354/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Moritz Körner (Renew)

In 2020, Europol dismantled EncroChat, an encrypted phone network which Europol claimed was widely used by criminal networks. According to Europol, a joint investigation made it possible to intercept, share and analyse millions of messages that were exchanged between criminals to plan serious crimes. A significant proportion of these messages were read by law enforcement in real time, over the shoulder of the unsuspecting senders.

• 1.What percentage of EncroChat users were engaged in criminal activity, and was all communication on the network intercepted and analysed, or only that of specific suspects?
• 2.Was the software used to hack the EncroChat network developed by Europol, and if so, what was the legal basis for this?
• 3.Were the services provided by EncroChat illegal, and did they offer any added value to users after EncroChat was hacked by Europol?