Spyware maker Paragon confirms US government is a customer

Israeli spy ware maker Paragon Options confirmed to TechCrunch that it sells its merchandise to the U.S. authorities and different unspecified allied nations.

Paragon’s govt chairman John Fleming mentioned in an announcement to TechCrunch on Tuesday that “Paragon licenses its know-how to a choose group of worldwide democracies — principally, america and its allies.”

Fleming additionally mentioned that Paragon “requires that every one customers conform to phrases and situations that explicitly prohibit the illicit focusing on of journalists and different civil society figures. We have now a zero-tolerance coverage towards such focusing on and can terminate our relationship with any buyer that violates our phrases of service.”

These feedback come after WhatsApp alleged on Friday that Paragon’s spyware was used in a hacking campaign that focused round 90 journalists and different members of civil society. Since then, at the least two individuals have come ahead claiming they had been among the many targets: Italian journalist Francesco Cancellato, and Sweden-based Libyan activist Husam El Gomati. 

Fleming didn’t reply to a collection of particular questions, together with these asking for extra particulars about who Paragon considers to be a U.S. ally and a democracy; what precisely its phrases of service say in regards to the prohibition of focusing on journalists and members of civil society with its spy ware; whether or not the corporate can and does examine allegations of abuse, akin to these made by WhatsApp; whether or not the corporate is investigating WhatsApp’s allegations; and if Paragon has ever terminated a contract due to such violations.

Final yr, Wired first reported that Paragon’s U.S. subsidiary had signed a contract price $2 million with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, however the firm didn’t remark on the time. 

U.S. non-public fairness agency AE Industrial made a bid to acquire Paragon final yr for round $900 million. When reached for remark, AE Industrial spokesperson Matt Conroy didn’t remark and deferred to Paragon.

WhatsApp mentioned Friday that it had despatched a cease-and-desist letter to Paragon. Fleming declined to touch upon the letter.

Cancellato is the director of reports web site Fanpage.it, which published an investigation final yr on the “Gioventù Meloniana,” the youth wing of the Fratelli d’Italia social gathering, led by present prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has been on the head of the Italian authorities since 2022. Due to undercover video recordings of members of the “Gioventù Meloniana,” Fanpage confirmed that a variety of them made racist and antisemitic remarks, used the N-word, and chanted Nazi and pro-Italian dictator Benito Mussolini slogans. The investigation prompted opposition parties to criticize Meloni. 

“I really feel violated,” Cancellato, who spoke of learning that his phone was targeted, informed TechCrunch. “You ask your self, why me? That is the factor, I imply, what did they need from me?”

Whereas El Gomati lives in Sweden and is Libyan, he has criticized the relationship between the Italian and Libyan authorities, notably their collaboration to cease Libyan immigrants from crossing the Mediterranean Sea and reaching the European nation.

Ynetnews reported on Monday that Italy is a Paragon buyer. However there hasn’t been another affirmation of that declare to date. 

Fleming didn’t reply when requested if Italy was a Paragon buyer, and the Italian authorities didn’t reply to a request for remark by TechCrunch.