Tech Companies Offer New Anti-Spyware Features for High-Risk Users
Original: These special phone and app features can help protect you from spyware
Why This Matters
Growing government spyware threats drive tech giants to develop specialized protection features
Apple, Google, and Meta now provide opt-in security features to protect journalists, activists, and dissidents from government spyware attacks. Recent incidents show Paragon Solutions targeted 90 WhatsApp users and compromised iOS devices with zero-click attacks.
Major tech companies have introduced specialized security features following increased government spyware attacks on journalists and activists. In early 2025, WhatsApp notified roughly 90 users, mostly journalists and civil society members across Europe, of targeting by Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions. Apple later sent threat notifications confirming two journalists were compromised by Paragon's Graphite spyware using zero-click attacks requiring no user interaction. These attacks have become routine over 15 years, with government hackers successfully targeting critics and opponents using sophisticated tools that provide full device access, including calls, messages, photos, camera, microphone, and location tracking. Apple, Google, and Meta now offer opt-in features designed specifically to counter targeted spyware, adding extra protection by limiting regular features. Security researcher Runa Sandvik calls these 'the best defense we have today against sophisticated spyware,' noting they're free, easy to enable, and proven effective despite the ongoing cat-and-mouse game between spyware makers and software companies.