Press Freedom Under Threat as Chilean Prosecutor Seeks Journalists’ Phone Data

November 07, 2025 – Chile – 

The Chilean Journalists Association has strongly denounced a move by prosecutor Paulina Díaz of the Western High-Complexity Prosecutor’s Office to access the telephone records of eleven journalists in connection with the Hermosilla case. The request included access to call logs, geolocation data, and mobile data traffic from reporters affiliated with outlets such as Centro de Investigación Periodística (CIPER), La Tercera, La Bot, and Reportea.

Although the 4th Guarantee Court of Santiago and the Court of Appeals rejected the application, the Association warned that the attempt itself poses a grave threat to press and source confidentiality. “This measure, which sought to access calls, geolocation, and mobile data traffic, constitutes a serious threat to fundamental rights and freedom of the press, violating international commitments and guarantees signed by the State of Chile,” the Association declared.

The journalists targeted include Francisca Skoknic (La Bot), Gabriela Pizarro (formerly The Clinic, now CIPER), Nicolás Cerpa (formerly The Clinic), Leslie Ayala (La Tercera), Catalina Olate (CIPER), Benjamín Miranda (CIPER), Francisca Soto (CIPER), Daniel Meza (CIPER), Paulina Toro (CIPER), Macarena Segovia (CIPER), and Nicolás Sepúlveda (formerly CIPER, now Reportea).

Media observers say this request highlights a troubling trend in Chile, where legal mechanisms meant to protect national security or criminal investigations increasingly intersect with press freedom risks. The attempt to pierce journalists’ sources, even when rejected by courts, sends a warning signal that independent reporting may be vulnerable to surveillance under the guise of complex investigations. The country’s press-freedom score remains strong on paper, but oversight bodies caution that threats like these cast a shadow over the investigative journalism ecosystem.

In its statement, the Chilean Journalists Association called on public authorities to respect the confidentiality of sources and safeguard journalists’ ability to hold institutions accountable without fear of intrusive surveillance or pre-emptive monitoring. Without transparent legal safeguards and clear limits on such requests, press freedom advocates warn that Chile’s democratic gains in media expression are at risk of erosion.

Reference – 

https://ground.news/article/chilean-journalists-association-condemns-attempt-to-intercept-journalists-phones-in-the-context-of-the-hermosilla-case-la-quinta-newspaper

Chilean Journalists Association condemns prosecutor’s request to intercept journalists’ phones