Paragon not cooperating with Italian spyware investigation
Original: Paragon is not collaborating with Italian authorities probing spyware attacks, report says
Why This Matters
Highlights challenges in international cybersecurity law enforcement cooperation
Israeli-American surveillance company Paragon Solutions has not responded to Italian prosecutors' information request regarding spyware attacks targeting 90+ people globally, including journalists and activists, despite previous promises to help investigate the scandal.
Italian prosecutors sent a formal information request to Paragon Solutions via Israeli government channels, but the company has not responded after a year-long investigation into its Graphite spyware targeting Italian journalists and activists. WhatsApp and Apple notified victims of the attacks, prompting criminal complaints and prosecutorial investigation. Paragon previously publicly offered to help investigate the hacking scandal and cancelled contracts with Italian intelligence agencies AISE and AISI when the government allegedly refused cooperation. Israeli human rights lawyer Eitay Mack noted that while the Israeli government could force local companies to comply with foreign judicial requests, this has never happened. The situation mirrors Spain's closed NSO spyware investigation citing Israeli authorities' non-cooperation.