Kearney suspects an MI5 operation targeting his phone in 2006 was also, potentially, related to his coverage of the Donaldson murder.
As part of his IPT case, MI5 did not reveal why it unlawfully accessed his communications data.
The Donaldson family have expressed concern at developments and believe they too may have been the subject of some form of phone data surveillance.
His daughter Jane said they are now considering making a request for their own IPT investigation.
An independent review of the PSNI’s use of covert surveillance against journalists reported last year.
Its author, lawyer Angus McCullough KC, found the PSNI’s surveillance of journalists is not “widespread or systemic”.
Aside from Kearney, it stated that eight other journalists had been the subject of unlawful monitoring to identify their sources.
McCullough had unrestricted access to PSNI records for his review, which examined the period 2011-2024.