Paragon Spyware Tool Linked to Canadian Police, Watchdog Says
(Bloomberg) -- A Canadian law enforcement agency is suspected to have used spyware designed to hack into mobile phones and eavesdrop on messages, according to cybersecurity researchers from the University of Toronto.
NYC Plans for Flood Protection Without Federal Funds
Despite Cost-Cutting Moves, Trump Plans to Remake DC in His Style
A Malibu Model for Residents on the Fire Frontlines
The Scary Thing About the Wildfire That Was Stopped
Tel Aviv-based Paragon sells the spyware to governments and law enforcement agencies for the purposes of fighting serious crime. However, Meta Platforms Inc.'s WhatsApp said in February it had identified Paragon's technology being used against activists and journalists in Europe.
Researchers at the watchdog group Citizen Lab in a report published Wednesday said they found evidence linking Paragon's spyware to countries including Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Israel, and Singapore.
Paragon's spyware, known as 'Graphite,' breaks into a device and covertly records messages sent using WhatsApp and other encrypted chat apps, such as Signal. Citizen Lab found that spyware victims, who were using Android phones, had been added to a WhatsApp group and then sent a malicious PDF file, which silently compromised the devices without them clicking on the PDF or otherwise engaging in the group.
Citing a detailed analysis of digital records, the research organization said it suspected that computers under the control of Ontario Provincial Police had deployed the spyware.
John Fleming, executive chairman of Paragon's US division and a former assistant director of the Central Intelligence Agency, said in a statement that some of Citizen Lab's research 'appears to be inaccurate,' but declined to offer specifics. He said Paragon's technology was designed to support counterterrorism, counter-narcotics, and counterintelligence.
'We require all users of our technology to adhere to terms and conditions that preclude the illicit targeting of journalists and other civil society leaders,' Fleming said. 'While we are not able to discuss individual customers, we have a zero-tolerance policy for violations of our terms of service.'
Ontario Provincial Police didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Paragon's spyware enables what are known as 'zero click' intrusions, because they require no user interaction for the phone to be compromised. Once it had gained a foothold on the device, the spyware appeared to hide itself within other legitimate apps on the phone, making it difficult to discover, according to Citizen Lab's report.
John Scott-Railton, senior researcher at Citizen Lab, said the findings amounted to the first-ever public forensic analysis of Paragon's spyware. He called on governments to be more transparent about how they are using the technology.
'We just know, even in democracies, states have an appetite for abusing secret surveillance powers, and the more secret this stuff is, the more likely it is to be abused,' said Scott-Railton.
Paragon has previously said it would only sell its technology to democratic governments, positioning itself as an alternative to Israel's notorious spyware seller NSO Group, which was persistently dogged by allegations of helping autocratic governments target journalists and activists.
WhatsApp announced in February that it discovered Paragon's spyware had been used in a hacking campaign that had targeted nearly 100 people across Europe, including activists and journalists. A WhatsApp spokesperson said commercial spyware had been 'weaponized' to target civil society and added companies selling it 'must be held accountable.' Paragon didn't respond to requests for comment on WhatsApp's allegations.
In December, Paragon was acquired by US private equity firm AE Industrial Partners in a deal worth up to $900 million. A representative for AE declined to comment.
Tesla's Gamble on MAGA Customers Won't Work
The Real Reason Trump Is Pushing 'Buy American'
How TD Became America's Most Convenient Bank for Money Launderers
The Future of Higher Ed Is in Austin
A US Drone Maker Tries to Take Back the Country's Skies
©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Politico
22 minutes ago
- Politico
Supreme Court limits outside access to DOGE records
The Supreme Court has reined in a lower-court order that allowed a watchdog group wide-ranging access to records of the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency. The high court's majority said a judge's directive allowing Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington to examine DOGE's recommendations for cost savings at executive branch agencies was 'not appropriately tailored.' In a two-page order Friday, the Supreme Court said such access was not a proper way to resolve an ongoing dispute about whether DOGE is a federal agency subject to the Freedom of Information Act or operates as a presidential advisory body that does not have to share its records with the public. 'Separation of powers concerns counsel judicial deference and restraint in the context of discovery regarding internal Executive Branch communications,' the court's majority wrote. All three of the court's liberal justices indicated they disagreed with the decision, but none provided an explanation of her views.
USA Today
22 minutes ago
- USA Today
iPhone users complain of Mail app glitches after iOS 18.5 update: See workarounds
iPhone users complain of Mail app glitches after iOS 18.5 update: See workarounds Show Caption Hide Caption Apple may increase iPhone prices, reluctant to blame tariffs, says report Apple may raise prices on its iPhones, but is reluctant to publicly blame Trump's China tariffs as the company faces higher costs. Straight Arrow News Encountering crashes or freezing and blank screens when trying to open the Mail app on your iPhone? You're not alone. Apple users across the internet have complained of poor functionality with Mail and other apps, and the culprit appears to be the latest iOS 18.5 update, at least according to disgruntled customers. While Apple's support System Status page showed all services were online on the afternoon of Friday, June 6, users on Apple Support Communities threads, Reddit, and other social media platforms and forums continued to report issues with functionality. The crux of the complaints began around June 4, nearly a month after 18.5 was released on May 13. It is unclear why the issue would arise so long after the release, but it appears to impact iPhones of all ages and varieties, making the update the only common denominator. Some posts have indicated that the owners only recently downloaded 18.5, despite it being available for weeks. Some users complained about other hiccups since downloading iOS 18.5, including slow app loading, crashes, and misaligned visual assets. The posts appear to indicate that models older than the iPhone 16 are encountering the most issues. Apple did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment or more information on June 6. The tech giant has not acknowledged the reported issue publicly on its website, in support community posts or on its official social media accounts as of late Friday afternoon. How to fix your Apple Mail app While Apple has not yet released an official fix to the issue, some users have discovered a few workarounds. One user said a local Apple support representative advised resetting network settings to temporarily relieve the issues. You can do so by following this path on your iPhone: Settings > General > Transfer or Reset [Device] > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Other users reported success using the suggested network reset method. Some others reported that changing autocorrect and keyboard settings temporarily improved Mail functionality, though this could be coincidental more than anything. If you'd like to try it anyway, follow these steps: Settings > General > Keyboard > then disable features including 'Auto-Correction' and 'Smart Punctuation." Others said that going into the App Store and manually starting an update of their Mail app fixed the issue, while some did the classic restart or delete and redownload. However, relief was reportedly short-lived for some of those who did initially see improvement after force restarting their phones or the app. It is unclear when Apple will issue an official fix or send out another software update, nonetheless, users seem to be making do with the workarounds shared online.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump administration to pay nearly $5M in wrongful death lawsuit of Jan. 6 rioter shot by police
The Trump administration will pay a $4.975 million settlement in the lawsuit over the wrongful death of Ashli Babbitt, who was killed by a U.S. Capitol Police officer after storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Babbitt — a 35-year-old from California and veteran of the Air Force who went to Washington for President Donald Trump's rally — was among an early group of rioters that reached the doors of the Speaker's Lobby, adjacent to the House chamber, while lawmakers were still evacuating. Details of the settlement were released by Judicial Watch, a pro-Trump advocacy group that represented her estate and family members in the lawsuit. The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to request to comment. The settlement is likely to inflame tensions on Capitol Hill over the riot. Outgoing Capitol Police chief Thomas Manger blasted the reported settlement last month, saying it 'sends a chilling message to law enforcement nationwide, especially to those with a protective mission like ours.' As members of the mob standing near Babbitt pounded on the doors and cracked glass window panes, outnumbered police officers stepped aside and ceded the hallway to the rioters. Moments later, Babbitt is seen on video attempting to enter the lobby through a shattered window. That's when Capitol Police officer Michael Byrd fired the fatal shot. Byrd was investigated and cleared by local and federal authorities. Babbitt was the only rioter killed by police, but several others died either during or in the hours immediately after the protest. Over 100 Capitol Police officers were injured during the protest. The lawsuit was filed in California by Babbitt's family in 2024, claiming wrongful death, assault and battery, as well as negligence claims. The lawsuit was set to go to trial in 2026, but both parties agreed to the settlement. A joint filing Friday from government attorneys and Babbitt's acknowledged that a settlement was reached, but did not disclose details. 'This fair settlement is a historic and necessary step for justice for Ashli Babbitt's family. Ashli should never have been killed, and this settlement destroys the evil, partisan narrative that justified her outrageous killing and protected her killer,' said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton in a press release on the settlement. Trump has repeatedly praised Babbitt, portraying her as an innocent patriot and decrying her death at the hands of Capitol police. It's part of the Trump administration's efforts to repaint the protest on Jan. 6 as a day of patriotism and freedom of expression, rather than an unprecedented insurrection widely denounced in 2021 by Republicans and Democrats. Trump issued sweeping pardons for nearly all of those charged or under investigation for their actions on Jan. 6, including over 300 charged with assaulting the police. Numerous Jan. 6 rioters have been arrested on unrelated charges since. Kyle Cheney contributed to this report.
