On Wednesday, the Italian government issued a press release stating that a spyware operation uncovered by WhatsApp, utilizing tools developed by Paragon Solutions, has affected individuals across various European nations.
Under the leadership of far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the government dismissed allegations regarding the surveillance of Italian citizens Francesco Cancellato, a journalist associated with the news outlet Fanpage.it, and Luca Casarini, an activist working with Mediterranea Saving Humans, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting immigrants.
According to the statement, the government reported that its cybersecurity agency, the Agenzia per la Cybersicurezza Nazionale (ACN), reached out to WhatsApp and its legal representatives, Advant. They revealed that seven users in Italy were identified as targets of the spyware attack, but WhatsApp withheld their identities, citing privacy issues, as stated in the press announcement.
Moreover, WhatsApp indicated that mobile phone users in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden were also affected, as per the details provided by the Italian government.
WhatsApp has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the specific number of targets in Italy, the listed countries, and other assertions made by the Italian government.
This announcement from the Italian authorities follows WhatsApp’s report that it had disrupted a spyware scheme that targeted approximately 90 individuals in over two dozen countries, including several across Europe.
As of Wednesday, both Cancellato and Casarini, along with Sweden-based Libyan activist Husam El Gomati, who has been vocal against the actions of the Italian and Libyan governments towards migrants in the Mediterranean, have publicly stated that they were victims of the spyware operation.
Paragon confirmed to TechCrunch on Tuesday that it provides its surveillance solutions to the U.S. government and other unnamed “allies.”
The company emphasized that it mandates users to comply with terms and conditions that explicitly forbid the unlawful targeting of journalists and figures in civil society, asserting a “zero-tolerance policy” regarding such practices. Paragon stated it would “terminate any customer relationship” that breaches these service agreements.
However, neither Fleming nor Paragon has responded to requests for clarification on whether the nations referenced by the Italian government are indeed clients of Paragon.
The ACN and the office of the Prime Minister have not yet replied to requests for comment on this matter.
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