Italian government denies illegal spying on journalists and activists using military-grade software
The Italian government has denied using military-grade surveillance technology to illegally spy on journalists and migrant activists but said it would cooperate with an investigation into digital "vulnerabilities" after at least seven Italian cellphones were apparently hacked with spyware.
The story first broke on 31 January when Meta's WhatsApp messaging service informed dozens of people across the EU that their devices had been targeted using software from Paragon Solutions, an Israeli cyber technology company.
In a statement, WhatsApp said it had disrupted "a spyware campaign by Paragon that targeted several users, including journalists and members of civil society."
After The Guardian newspaper reported the hacking incident, the Italian government confirmed last Wednesday that at least seven Italian cellphones were involved and that it had ordered the National Cybersecurity Agency to investigate.
Speaking to parliament's lower chamber on Wednesday, Cabinet Minister Luca Ciriani confirmed that the Italian government has long had a contract with Paragon Solutions for intelligence-gathering technology that can help fight terrorism and other national security threats.
However, he insisted that privacy law was "rigorously respected" and denied that the government had used the technology to spy on journalists illegally. He also threatened legal action against any claims to the contrary.
"Regardless, it's up to judicial authorities to ascertain the source of the vulnerabilities that have been claimed," he said, adding that Italian intelligence services "are ready to provide full support."
A close watch
Among the Italians targeted were Luca Casarini, the head of the migrant rescue group Mediterranea Saving Humans, and Francesco Cancellato, editor of the Fanpage news website, both of who have been critical of the government.
The two confirmed in interviews Wednesday that they had been informed by WhatsApp on 31 January that their phones had been infected with spyware.
The message they received from WhatsApp suggested they contact Citizen Lab, a laboratory at the University of Toronto's Munk School that has for years played a leading role in exposing state-backed hackers worldwide.
Cancellato said he believed he had been targeted by hackers who wanted to see what investigative stories Fanpage was developing. The site has previously published undercover reporting on the youth branch of Premier Giorgia Meloni's far-right party, Brothers of Italy, in which its journalists exposed neofascist behaviour.
Casarini, meanwhile, leads an aid group that rescues people in the Mediterranean. He has previously criticised the Italian government's support for Libyan patrols of its coastline to prevent people-smuggling boats from crossing the sea.
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