Paragon Spyware: Another Victim Comes Forward

New Allegations Surface in WhatsApp Spyware Targeting

An additional individual has reportedly been identified as a target of spyware originating from Israeli firm Paragon, delivered via the WhatsApp messaging platform.

Beppe Caccia, a co-founder of the Italian non-governmental organization Mediterranea Saving Humans – dedicated to assisting immigrants – has stated that he was subjected to this spyware campaign, as reported to TechCrunch.

Confirmation Following Previous Disclosure

Caccia’s disclosure follows a public announcement last week by Luca Casarini, also a co-founder of Mediterranea Saving Humans, regarding a WhatsApp notification he received indicating a potential spyware attack.

Casarini formally filed a complaint with the Prosecutor’s Office in Palermo, Italy, during a press conference on Monday, organized by Sandro Ruotolo, an Italian Member of the European Parliament.

Casarini’s primary objective is to ascertain the identity of those responsible for targeting both himself and the organization.

“Those who engage in surveillance have motives to conceal their actions, while we have nothing to hide,” Casarini asserted.

Growing Number of Identified Victims

Prior to Caccia’s statement, three other individuals had come forward, reporting similar notifications from WhatsApp concerning potential targeting by Paragon’s spyware.

These individuals include Francesco Cancellato, the director of the news website Fanpage.it, Libyan activist Husam El Gomati – residing in Sweden and focused on immigration issues related to Italy and Libya – and Casarini himself.

The initial reports of this spyware campaign surfaced on January 31st, when WhatsApp announced it had successfully disrupted the operation and alerted approximately 90 individuals who were identified as targets.

Neither WhatsApp nor Paragon has publicly attributed the campaign to a specific governmental entity.

Governmental Responses and Denials

The Italian government has officially denied any involvement in the alleged hacking campaign.

A statement released by the Italian prime minister’s office affirmed that Italian intelligence services do not target legally protected individuals, such as journalists.

The same statement indicated that Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, informed the Italian government of potential targets in several other European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.

Requests for comment were directed to these countries, but responses were limited.

Only a spokesperson for the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior acknowledged awareness of the Paragon attacks, but declined to provide further details.

Additional Targeting Reported

During the same press conference, David Yambio, co-founder of the Italy-based NGO Refugees in Libya, revealed that he too had been targeted by a spyware campaign.

However, Yambio’s targeting occurred not through WhatsApp, but via a notification from Apple on November 13th, alerting him to “a mercenary spyware attack,” as reported to The Guardian.

It remains currently unclear whether Yambio’s case is connected to the same hacking campaign as those targeted by Paragon’s spyware.