Government will not say if spyware is used to monitor Irish citizens

Spyware relates to any software placed on a device which allows the user to obtain information about the owner’s activities via covert data transfers.

The Government has declined to confirm whether or not State agencies routinely use spyware to monitor Irish citizens, following an inquiry from the European Commission.

Last December, the commission wrote to all EU member states seeking to clarify the extent to which such software is in use by governments across the bloc.