Paragon Solutions' Graphite Spyware Targets Journalists and Activists

Paragon Solutions' Graphite spyware has been linked to surveillance operations targeting journalists and immigration activists in Europe. The spyware can infiltrate smartphones without user interaction, utilizing zero-click attack methods. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) holds a $2 million contract with Paragon for this technology. In January 2025, WhatsApp warned approximately 90 users, including journalists and civil society figures, that they were targeted by Graphite. The spyware primarily accesses messaging applications like WhatsApp and Signal, despite their end-to-end encryption. Italian prosecutors confirmed infections of activists and journalists, including Francesco Cancellato and Luca Casarini. The spyware's capability to exploit vulnerabilities in messaging apps raises significant privacy concerns. Paragon's Graphite is classified alongside other mercenary spyware like NSO's Pegasus. The situation remains under scrutiny as the implications of government contracts for such technologies are debated.

Key Points: • Graphite spyware can infiltrate phones without user interaction. • ICE has a $2 million contract with Paragon Solutions for Graphite. • WhatsApp warned 90 users about Graphite targeting, including journalists.