Italian Political Consultant Targeted with Paragon Spyware

New Developments in the Italian Spyware Scandal

Francesco Nicodemo, a political consultant working with left-leaning politicians in Italy, has recently revealed himself as the latest individual targeted by Paragon spyware within the country.

Initial Disclosure and Concerns

Nicodemo disclosed this information via a Facebook post on Thursday, explaining his previous reluctance to publicize the incident stemmed from a desire to avoid being exploited for political purposes. However, he now believes the time is right to bring it to light.

He posed a critical question: “Why was I targeted? How can a sophisticated tool like this be deployed against a private citizen as if they were involved in illicit activities or posed a threat to national security?” Nicodemo stated he has no further statements to make, deferring to others to provide explanations.

Expanding Scope of the Investigation

The news of Nicodemo’s targeting was initially reported by the online news platform, Fanpage. This development broadens the scope of the ongoing spyware controversy in Italy.

Previously, the scandal had already implicated a diverse range of individuals, including journalists, activists focused on immigration issues, prominent business leaders, and now, a political consultant affiliated with the center-left Partito Democratico (Democratic Party).

Contradictions in Surveillance Claims

Governments and developers of spyware have consistently maintained that these tools are reserved for use against serious criminals and terrorists. However, these recent cases demonstrate that this assertion is not consistently accurate.

Expert Commentary on the Situation

John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at The Citizen Lab specializing in spyware investigations, emphasized the lack of transparency surrounding these incidents. He noted that while the Italian government has clarified some cases, many remain unclear.

Scott-Railton believes that Paragon could provide greater clarity regarding the situation, but until they do, these cases will continue to be a significant liability. He confirmed that Nicodemo had received the notification from WhatsApp regarding the attempted spyware installation.

Limited Public Statements

Natale De Gregorio, a colleague of Nicodemo at Lievito Consulting, indicated that Nicodemo would not be offering further comments beyond his initial statements to Fanpage and his Facebook post.

Potential Involvement of Italian Intelligence

The identity of the Paragon customer responsible for targeting Nicodemo remains unknown. However, an Italian parliamentary committee confirmed in June that Italian intelligence agencies, operating under the direction of right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, were involved in targeting some of the victims.

Lack of Response from Key Parties

Requests for comment from the Italian prime minister’s office, as well as Jennifer Iras, the marketing vice president of REDLattice (which merged with Paragon), went unanswered.

Previous Actions by Paragon

Following the initial revelations in February, Paragon severed ties with its Italian government customers, specifically the intelligence agencies AISE and AISI.

COPASIR Findings and Ongoing Questions

In June, the Italian Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Republic (COPASIR) determined that the hacking of certain immigration activists was conducted lawfully by Italian intelligence services.

However, COPASIR found no evidence to suggest that Francesco Cancellato, the director of Fanpage.it, had been targeted by either AISI or AISE. The case of Cancellato’s colleague, Ciro Pellegrino, was also not investigated.

Paragon’s U.S. Government Contract

Paragon has disclosed that the U.S. government is among its clients and currently holds an active contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.