Italian Journalist Exposed to Spyware After Investigating Far-Right Party
Italian Journalist Exposed to Spyware After Investigating Far-Right Party
An Italian investigative journalist, Francesco Cancellato, received a notification from WhatsApp that he was targeted with spyware made by Israel-based Paragon Solutions. Cancellato is known for exposing young fascists within prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s far-right party. The spyware, known as Graphite, was delivered to targets through PDFs in group chats without their permission. It is not clear how long Cancellato may have been compromised, but he published a high-profile investigative story last year that exposed fascist chants, Nazi salutes, and antisemitic rants by members of Meloni’s party’s youth wing. Paragon Solutions declined to comment.