Italy severs links with Paragon spyware after allegations of targeting critics and migrant rescuers spark outrage.
Italy has terminated its contracts with Israeli spyware company Paragon, after revelations that the surveillance technology was used against critics of the government – including journalists and migrant rescue workers – prompted political uproar and calls for a full investigation.
The move was confirmed in a parliamentary report released on Monday by the intelligence oversight committee COPASIR, which found that Italy’s intelligence services had initially paused, then cancelled their use of Paragon’s spyware.
The timeline of the contract’s end remains unclear, especially since Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government had told parliament in February that the deal was still active.
Both the Italian government and Paragon confirmed the termination, but offered diverging narratives.
