Italy cuts ties with Israeli firm Paragon after spyware scandal: What to know
The cancellation comes after reports revealed Paragon software being used to surveil Italian activists and, allegedly, a journalist.
Italy’s intelligence agencies have canceled contracts with Israeli spyware firm Paragon Solutions, according to a Monday report, following the discovery that its surveillance tools were allegedly used to monitor activists and journalists.
What happened: A report released Monday by Italy’s parliamentary intelligence oversight committee, COPASIR, said that Italian intelligence first suspended and then terminated the use of Paragon’s spyware. It is unclear when exactly the contract was cancelled.
The spyware, called Graphite, can bypass smartphone encryption and extract internal messaging data. It had been supplied to Italy’s foreign intelligence agency, AISE, and domestic agency, AISI, per the report. The Italian government had authorized limited use of the spyware in 2023 and 2024 as part of criminal investigations into suspected terrorism, smuggling and espionage, the committee said.
Background: The cancellation follows controversy over Paragon’s software allegedly being used to spy on individuals in Italy, including the deputy editor of major Italian online newspaper Fanpage.it, Francesco Cancellato. Among others targeted were members of Mediterranea Saving Humans, a migrant rescue NGO critical of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government.
