Spyware Maker Paragon accused the Italian government of rejecting its help in investigating whether journalists spy on the technology, according to a statement Monday.
In a statement first reported by Haaretz, Paragon argued that it was this refusal that encouraged the company to cut ties with Italian government clients.
“The company has provided both the Italian government and the parliament with a way to determine whether it was being used against journalists in violation of Italian law and terms of contract,” read the statement. “Paragon has ended its contract in Italy as Italian authorities chose not to proceed with this solution.”
Paragon confirmed with TechCrunch that the statement was accurate. After TechCrunch asked Paragon’s executive chairman John Fleming for comment, Emily Horne, who works for Westexec Advisors, responded to a statement in the Haaretz article saying that he “refers to all media queries.”
This is the first time a spyware provider has publicly stated that it will reduce relationships with certain customers after reporting abuse.
The Spyware Maker accusations are the latest twist in the scandal when WhatsApp revealed a massive hacking campaign targeting users in January. The messaging app Giant said it has warned about 90 users that it is being targeted by Spyware, created by Paragon, co-founded by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak (pictured). Paragon, which has contracts with US immigration and customs enforcement, is sold in the US and Europe as a more responsible vendor on the surface compared to its industry predecessors.
Francesco Cancellato, the director of news website, is the director of FanPage, the first person to say he has received a WhatsApp notification and is a journalist Paragon mentioned in a statement.
inquiry
Do you have more information about Paragon Solutions and this Spyware campaign? From non-work devices, you can safely contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai with a signal of +1 917 257 1382, via Telegram and Keybase @lorenzofb, or send an email. You can also contact TechCrunch via SecureDrop.
Paragon’s statement was a response to a report released last week by an Italian parliamentary committee known as Copasir, which investigated the country’s Spyware scandal. The committee concluded that there was no evidence that Cancerato was a target of two Italian intelligence agencies, AISI and AISE, and was confirmed as a client of Paragon.
Hours after Harletz issued Paragon’s statement, the Italian government declined to say Paragon’s statement, saying that there was a mutual decision to first halt its contract with Paragon and then terminate it.
Sources were also quoted as saying that the Ministry of Information for Security (DIS), the Italian government agency that oversees AISE and AISI, has refused Paragon’s help to check the logs of the institution’s graphite spyware system. Sources claimed that Paragon would argue that it would undermine the reputation of Italian intelligence reporting agencies among its international peers.
The Italian government, led by Copasir and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.
Cancellato responded to Paragon’s statement in a video posted on the fan page. “Who is lying to this story? Copasir or Paragon?” he said.
“To find it, all we have to do is ask Paragon to officially tell them who spies on the fanpage. Did they say they can find it?
In late April, FanPage reporter Ciro Pellegrino said he received a notification from Apple that he had targeted government spyware. Copasir’s investigation did not mention the Pellegrino case.
Meanwhile, Copasir has confirmed that other victims of Paragon Spyware are legally targeted, including Luca Casarini and Beppe Caccia.
Copasir said they were all legally investigated for their activities related to alleged illegal immigration.
Meanwhile, Copasir concluded that there was no evidence of surveillance against Mattia Ferrari, a priest working on a rescue ship in Near Ground, who received a notification from WhatsApp.
In a statement to ANSA on Monday, Copasir said he was willing to defend his investigation work on the hearing held on April 9 with Paragon representatives. The statement said Copasir was surprised by Paragon’s statement.