Italy and Israeli spyware maker Paragon part ways

Italy and Israeli spyware maker Paragon say they have ended contracts following allegations that the Italian government used the company’s technology to hack the phones of critics, according to a parliamentary report and the company.

Both sides say they have severed ties, giving conflicting accounts that triggered widespread criticism from opposition parties in Italy, while the journalists’ federation FNSI called on prosecutors to investigate to ascertain the facts.

An official with Meta’s WhatsApp chat service said in January that the spyware had targeted scores of users, including, in Italy, a journalist and members of the Mediterranea migrant sea rescue charity critical of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The government said in February that seven Italian mobile phone users had been targeted by the spyware. At that time, the government denied any involvement in illicit activities and said it had asked the National Cybersecurity Agency to look into the affair.

A report from the parliamentary committee on security, COPASIR, says that Italian intelligence services had initially put on hold and then ended their contract with Paragon following a media outcry.

It was unclear when the contract ended. However, COPASIR recalls that, addressing parliament on February 12, the government had said that it was still in place.

The committee also adds that it found no evidence that Francesco Cancellato, a reported target and editor of investigative website Fanpage, had been put under surveillance using Paragon’s spyware, as he had alleged to Reuters and other media outlets.

In a statement quoted by Fanpage, Paragon says it stopped providing spyware to Italy when Cancellato’s alleged involvement became public, and said the government declined an offer to jointly investigate whether and how he was spied upon.