"Italian prosecutors investigating a domestic spying scandal said they have independently confirmed that two immigration activists and a journalist were hacked at the same time in late 2024, suggesting all three were part of the same infection campaign. The development could fuel more questions for the far-right government of Giorgia Meloni, who has denied any involvement in the hacking of the journalist, the Fanpage editor-in-chief, Francesco Cancellato."
"Like other spyware makers, Paragon sells use of its spyware, known as Graphite, to government agencies, who are supposed to use it to fight and prevent crime. It can hack into any phone, without users knowing their mobiles have in effect been taken over. Paragon has previously confirmed that it cancelled its contract with the Italian government after reports first emerged that Cancellato had been targeted."
"A subsequent investigation by the Italian parliamentary committee for security (Copasir) found that Italian intelligence agencies had legally targeted Caccia and Casarini, but said they had not found evidence that Cancellato had been targeted. The findings this week by prosecutors in Rome and Naples independent investigative bodies marks a major departure from the previous parliamentary report."
Italian prosecutors investigating a domestic spying scandal have independently verified that two immigration activists and a journalist were hacked at the same time in late 2024, indicating they were part of the same coordinated infection campaign. This development raises questions for the far-right government of Giorgia Meloni, who has denied involvement in hacking journalist Francesco Cancellato, editor-in-chief of Fanpage. WhatsApp discovered that 90 people, including journalists and civil society members, were targeted by Graphite spyware made by Paragon Solutions, an Israeli-founded company now owned by US investors. Paragon cancelled its Italian government contract after reports emerged about Cancellato's targeting. The prosecutor findings contradict a previous parliamentary security committee report that found no evidence Cancellato was targeted, though it confirmed Italian intelligence legally targeted the two activists.
#spyware-and-surveillance #italian-government-scandal #journalist-hacking #paragon-graphite-spyware #political-accountability
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]