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Italy's Spyware Campaign: A Threat to Journalists and Activists

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a day ago

Summary

WhatsApp notifies founder of Italian nonprofit Mediterranea Saving Humans of being targeted with military-grade software. The Paragon software, made by an Israeli surveillance tech startup, has been used in a campaign against around 90 people. The Italian government is accused of using the software to target journalists and activists.

Key Points

The campaign targets journalists and activists who have been critical of the Italian government's policies
Paragon software is designed to be undetectable and can access phone data without the user's knowledge
The Italian government has denied any involvement in the spyware campaign

Why It Matters

This scandal highlights the vulnerability of journalists and activists to digital attacks, and raises questions about the government's commitment to protecting its citizens' privacy

Author

Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

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