Italian authorities have confirmed that a journalist, previously alerted via WhatsApp about a potential spyware breach, was indeed hacked. In a recent statement, the public prosecutors' offices in Rome and Naples, investigating the spyware issue, revealed that a technical analysis found evidence of spyware infection on the phones of journalist Francesco Cancellato, along with immigration activists Giuseppe Caccia and Luca Casarini, during the early hours of December 14, 2024.
The report indicated that the occurrence of three attacks in one night likely points to a coordinated infection effort. However, the complete findings of the report have not yet been released to the public.
This marks the first independent acknowledgment that Cancellato, director of the news platform Fanpage, was compromised using Paragon Solutions' spyware. Earlier in January 2025, he and approximately 90 others, including journalists and civil society members, were notified by WhatsApp of being targeted by the Israeli-based company's spyware, now under American ownership.
Italian judicial authorities have examined the Paragon spyware server utilized by the intelligence agency AISI to conduct operations against its targets. While they uncovered evidence of actions against Caccia and Casarini, no proof was found regarding a hack on Cancellato's device.
As the investigation continues, the identity of Cancellato's hacker remains unknown. The Italian government has denied any involvement in the hacking incident. When questioned about the matter at a press conference, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that the government is cooperating fully to resolve the situation.
Cancellato expressed his desire for transparency, stating that the government has not provided the clarity needed over the past year, often opting for silence or providing misleading information.
John Scott-Railton, a researcher from Citizen Lab who has investigated the Paragon spyware incidents in Italy, highlighted the troubling implications of this new confirmation, questioning why previous official investigations did not reveal this information.
In light of the unfolding scandal, Paragon, which produces the Graphite spyware, has reportedly terminated its contracts with Italian governmental clients. The situation in Italy is part of a broader pattern of spyware controversies across Europe, with similar incidents reported in Greece, Hungary, Poland, and Spain.
As this story develops, the impact of spyware on privacy and security continues to raise significant concerns within the European landscape.
