New Target of Paragon Spyware Revealed

Spyware Campaign Targets Mediterranean Rescue Group Founder

On Wednesday, Mediterranea Saving Humans, an Italian nonprofit dedicated to aiding migrants attempting the sea journey from Africa to Europe, revealed that one of its founders was identified as a target in a recent spyware operation impacting WhatsApp users.

WhatsApp Notification and Paragon Solutions

Mediterranea reported that WhatsApp alerted its founder, Luca Casarini, last week regarding the targeting. The spyware utilized was developed by Paragon Solutions, an Israeli technology firm specializing in surveillance tools.

WhatsApp previously announced on Friday the disruption of an espionage campaign employing Paragon spyware, affecting approximately 90 individuals. The company indicated that journalists and civil society members were among those targeted, though specific names were not initially disclosed.

Targets Begin to Identify Themselves

Since the initial announcement, several individuals have come forward as targets. Francesco Cancellato, director of the Italian news website Fanpage.it, was the first to publicly acknowledge being targeted.

Fanpage.it has published investigative reports concerning organized crime and corruption. Notably, the publication released a documentary last year detailing members of the youth wing of Italy’s governing party engaging in fascist rhetoric and racist expressions.

Following Cancellato, Husam El Gomati, a Sweden-based activist, also revealed he was targeted. El Gomati has voiced criticism regarding the collaborative efforts between Libya and Italy to impede migrant crossings across the Mediterranean Sea.

Common Thread: Criticism of the Italian Government

Casarini’s notification from WhatsApp marks the latest development. A unifying factor among all three identified targets is their work, or the work of their respective organizations, which has been critical of the current Italian government, headed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Italian Intelligence Services Under Scrutiny

Mediterranea stated that the Italian secret services, specifically AISE, which operates in Libya and Tunisia, are focused on activities related to sea rescue and assistance to individuals held in Libyan camps or deported to desert regions.

The organization raised concerns, questioning whether the Italian government authorized the operation and if Italian intelligence agencies utilize Paragon software.

Government Silence and Potential Customer Status

To date, the Italian government has not responded to these inquiries, nor have they commented on the cases of Cancellato or Casarini.

Requests for comment, including inquiries about potential purchases of Paragon’s spyware, sent to the Italian government and Fabrizio Alfano, head of Meloni’s press office, have gone unanswered.

However, Ynetnews, an Israeli news outlet, reported on Monday that Italy is, in fact, a customer of Paragon.

Paragon’s Response and Stated Policies

John Fleming, executive chairman of Paragon’s U.S. subsidiary, did not respond to requests for comment regarding Casarini’s case or the broader allegations.

Previously, Fleming informed TechCrunch that Paragon, acquired by AE Industrial in December, sells its products to “a select group of global democracies — principally, the United States and its allies.”

Fleming asserted that Paragon requires all users to agree to terms prohibiting the targeting of journalists and civil society figures, maintaining a “zero-tolerance policy” against such actions and promising to terminate relationships with violating customers.

Ongoing Investigation by Citizen Lab

Questions regarding Paragon’s customer base and investigation into the allegations remain unanswered by Fleming.

Mediterranea has engaged The Citizen Lab, a digital rights organization at the University of Toronto with extensive experience in spyware investigation, to examine Casarini’s phone.

John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab, confirmed their active investigation into Paragon.

Concerns About the Mercenary Spyware Industry

Scott-Railton cautioned that these incidents underscore the ongoing abuses fueled by the mercenary spyware industry, including companies like NSO Group and Paragon, even within democratic nations.

“If you’re selling secret surveillance to democracies, you still have to be incredibly skeptical of your customers and assume the possibility that abuse is lurking around every corner,” Scott-Railton stated. “To me, this points to something fundamental about the mercenary spyware model, which is: If you sell surveillance tools it’s just a question of when the technology will be abused, not whether it will be.”