WhatsApp has disrupted an espionage campaign using Israeli-made Paragon spyware, targeting around 90 people, including an Italian nonprofit founder, journalists, and activists critical of the Italian government. One of the targets is Luca Casarini, a founder of Mediterranea Saving Humans, an Italian nonprofit that rescues immigrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Africa to Europe.

According to a press release by Mediterranea, WhatsApp notified Casarini last week that he had been targeted with spyware made by Paragon Solutions, an Israeli surveillance tech startup. This comes after WhatsApp announced on Friday that it had disrupted an espionage campaign using Paragon spyware, targeting around 90 people, including journalists and members of civil society.

Since then, some of the targets have started to come forward, including Francesco Cancellato, the director of Fanpage.it, an Italian news website that has published investigations into organized crime and corruption, and Sweden-based activist Husam El Gomati, who has been critical of how Libya and Italy have collaborated to stop immigrants from crossing the Mediterranean. All three targets have one thing in common: their work, or that of their organizations, has been critical of the current Italian government, led by far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Mediterranea has raised questions about the involvement of the Italian government in the espionage campaign, asking whether the government authorized the operation and whether the Italian secret services use Paragon software. The Italian government has not responded to requests for comment, nor has it commented on Cancellato nor Casarini's cases.

Ynetnews, an Israeli news site, reported on Monday that Italy is a Paragon customer. John Fleming, the executive chairman of Paragon's U.S. subsidiary, stated that Paragon sells its products "to a select group of global democracies — principally, the United States and its allies." However, Fleming has not yet answered questions about Paragon, including whether the Italian government is a customer, and whether Paragon is investigating WhatsApp's allegations and those of the targets that have come forward so far.

The Citizen Lab, a digital rights organization at the University of Toronto, is conducting an investigation on Casarini's phone. John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab, warned that these cases are another reminder that the mercenary spyware industry, with companies such as NSO Group and Paragon, has been fueling abuses for years, even in democratic countries.

Scott-Railton emphasized that if you sell surveillance tools, it's just a question of when the technology will be abused, not whether it will be. "If you're selling secret surveillance to democracies, you still have to be incredibly skeptical of your customers and assume the possibility that abuse is lurking around every corner. If you don't, you're choosing willful ignorance," said Scott-Railton.

The incident raises concerns about the use of surveillance technology by governments and the potential for abuse. It also highlights the importance of protecting journalists, activists, and members of civil society from targeted espionage campaigns.

As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen whether the Italian government will respond to the allegations and whether Paragon will take action to address the abuse of its technology. One thing is clear, however: the use of surveillance technology to target individuals critical of government policies is a serious threat to democracy and human rights.