Spy apps are a powerful tool, but also a dangerous one. When used for illicit purposes, they can threaten freedom of the press and human rights. This is exactly what happened with Paragon Solutions, an Israeli company accused of targeting journalists and activists with “zero-click” attacks. Despite the company claiming to explicitly prohibit such practices, the dust that is being raised in these hours shows that something is not working. The United States government and its allies are among Paragon's confirmed customers., but who really controls the use of these technologies?
The Case of Israeli Spy Apps: When Security Becomes Surveillance
Spy apps developed by Israeli companies like Paragon Solutions are raising growing concerns globally. These technologies, designed to ensure national security, are at the center of the latest scandals related to the violation of the privacy of journalists, activists and members of civil society.
An emblematic case concerns Italy. Here, the one who paid the price for these spywares probably linked to governments or state entities, was a newspaper director. Fanpage is an online newspaper that has recently conducted several “inconvenient” investigations: recently, it published secret recordings showing members of the youth of the Italian party Fratelli d'Italia making racist and anti-Semitic comments and chanting fascist slogans. This journalistic work sparked a backlash, with accusations that spyware had been used to monitor and intimidate the journalists involved.
While there is no direct evidence of Paragon Solutions' involvement in this specific case yet, the modus operandi is reminiscent of other attacks attributed to similar technologies, like Pegasus, also developed by an Israeli company, the NSO Group.
How do spy apps work?
Spy apps like those produced by Paragon and other Israeli companies rely on advanced digital surveillance techniques. One of the most insidious features of these tools is the ability to infiltrate devices without any interaction from the user, through “zero-click” attacks. These exploits exploit hidden vulnerabilities in cell phone operating systems, allowing attackers to access messages, calls, photos, and even microphones and cameras.
The matter is quite serious: up to 90 journalists and activists around the world have been targeted through attacks of this kind. Among the victims are the Italian Francesco Cancellato, director of Fanpage.it, and the Libyan activist Husam El Gomati, who lives in Sweden and fights against migration policies between Italy and Libya. Both confirmed that they had been hit by spyware during their professional activities.
The Contradictions of Paragon Solutions
Despite the accusations, however, Paragon Solutions continues to defend its reputation. The executive chairman John Fleming stated that the company “requires all its customers to agree to terms and conditions that explicitly prohibit the unlawful targeting of journalists and other civil society figures.” However, these words seem laconically outdated from the reality of the facts.
Additionally, Fleming did not answer some key questions, such as which countries it considers “allies” of the United States and what control mechanisms exist to verify compliance with usage policies. This lack of transparency further fuels doubts about the real effectiveness of the company's compliance measures.
The role of the US government (and the Italian one)
The United States Government is one of Paragon Solutions' major customers, along with to other allied countries. This raises important questions about the ethical implications of using these technologies. While they can be used to protect national security, on the other hand there is a real risk that they will be used for repressive or political control purposes. Even in Italy, the debate on digital espionage is heated. In 2022, Italian police have received several accusations of using Pegasus to spy on politicians, journalists and activists, sparking a wave of criticism by civil society.
These cases demonstrate how spying apps can easily turn from security tools into weapons of oppression, especially in contexts where adequate regulation is lacking. Without adequate oversight, the risk is that tools designed to protect can become weapons of oppression. As a society, we must ask ourselves: at what price do we want security? And who decides where to draw the line between protection and invasion of privacy?
