Italian Government Denies Spying Illegally on Journalists and Activists in Spyware Scandal.
By Madison Noelle Madera
The Italian government denied accusations that it had illegally used military-grade surveillance products from an Israeli company to spy on journalists and migrant rights activists, amid reports that at least seven Italian cellphones have been found to be infected with sophisticated spyware. The dispute revolves around software sold by Paragon Solutions, an Israeli cyber technology company that the Italian state hired for intelligence operations.
The case first surfaced on 31 January, when WhatsApp – Meta’s encrypted messaging service – informed dozens of its European users that their text messages had been intercepted in a spyware campaign associated with Pegasus. The campaign was targeted at journalists and people in civil society, according to WhatsApp, and immediately raised concerns about press freedom and privacy rights.
After The Guardian published its exposé, the Italian government acknowledged that at least some Italian phone numbers were in fact involved in the incident and has ordered the National Cybersecurity Agency to fully investigate the event. On February 13, Cabinet Minister Luca Ciriani addressed parliament and stated that the government still worked with Paragon Solutions but firmly denied any abuse of the spying software.
“The contract is intended to aid national security, including the battle against terrorism,” Ciriani said. “Privacy law has been strictly followed,” he said, rejecting allegations that the technology was being used illegally. He further threatened legal action against individuals filing fraudulent claims, but expressed that the government would help any legal investigation to determine the origins of the alleged digital interferences.
The official denial, however, hasn’t stopped the accusations from causing a major stir in Italy’s civil society.
Lonati names two of the people the list appears to target, including Luca Casarini, who leads the migrant rescue NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans, and Francesco Cancellato, an editor at Fanpage, an important Italian news website. Both men were alerted by WhatsApp on 31 January that their devices had been compromised and that they should contact Citizen Lab, a well-known cybersecurity watchdog based at the University of Toronto.
Cancellato expressed fears that the spyware could have been used to unearth sensitive details about Fanpage’s investigative journalism. The outlet is celebrated for its hard-hitting reports, including an undercover operation that exposed fascist rhetoric within the youth wing of the far-right Brothers of Italy party of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Casarini, meanwhile, runs a maritime rescue organization in the Mediterranean Sea. He also derided a controversial policy by the Italian government to work with Libyan authorities to block itinerant migrants from crossing the Mediterranean — a step that has come under harsh scrutiny from human rights organizations.
And while Ciriani blanched at the suggestion of state-sponsored targeting of journalists or activists, the fact that spyware that appears to be industry-produced was discovered on the devices of those who have been outspoken has only deepened suspicion.
On Thursday it was revealed that Roberto D’Agostino, editor and publisher of political gossip website Dagospia, allegedly had his phone hacked, prompting a further outcry from the opposition.
The episode has prompted a national discussion about the boundaries of surveillance, the defense of press freedom, and the ethical use of technology in the name of security. Meanwhile, as the inquiry continues, the government falls back once again on the line that it is acting within the law, but that intelligence agencies are offering full cooperation.
Still, the question is a live one: Can the state give its citizens assurances that tools once designed for counterterrorism will not be turned against some protesting voice?
