A journalist received a WhatsApp notification stating that an Italian survey journalist, known for exposing young fascists within Georgia Meloni’s far-right party, was targeted by spyware made by Israel-based Paragon Solutions.
Francescan Cerat, the editor-in-chief of Italian Survey News Outlet Fan page, was among the 90 journalists and members of civil society targeted for spyware as announced by WhatsApp.
The journalist received a notification through a messaging app on Friday afternoon, along with many others whose identities were not yet known.
WhatsApp did not disclose the exact location of the targets but mentioned they were based in over 20 countries, including Europe.
In December, WhatsApp revealed that PARAGON was targeting users and had shut down a vector used for compromising individuals. Paragon sells its spyware, known as graphite, to government agencies like other spyware makers.
PARAGON distributed its spyware to targets through group chats without an actual group chat and sent malware via PDF. The spyware was designed to infect phones without the need for the user to click on any links or attachments.
It remains unclear how Cancellato was compromised, but the editor previously published a story exposing the fascist activities of Meloni’s far-right-wing members of the Youth Wing.
Cancellato stated that his mobile device had not shown signs of compromise and he had not been informed of any ongoing investigations. He described the news as a violation.
The meloni party faced criticism after the fan page’s publication. The European Commission spokesperson denounced fascism as morally wrong.
Victor Fadorn, President of the Roman Jewish community, called for strong action against hatred and discrimination following the fan page’s reports.
Paragon Solutions declined to provide any comment on the matter.
If you have received a WhatsApp notification, please contact: Stephanie.kirchgaessner@theguardian.com
Source: www.theguardian.com
