Italy: Use of Paragon spyware against activists & journalists by Italian authorities "undermines international norms", says Amnesty Intl.
Daviles, via Canva Pro
The use of spyware against activists and journalists by Italian authorities and the lack of transparency and cooperation undermine international norms that Italy is bound by and raises serious concerns about its commitment to the Pall Mall Process and its Code of Practice for States, which seeks to stop the abuse of commercial spyware which undermine freedom of expression.Elina Castillo Jiménez, Advocacy and Policy Advisor on targeted surveillance at Amnesty International
In February 2025, it was reported that investigative journalists and activists in Italy had been targeted by military-grade hacking software made by Paragon Solutions. The news follows reporting in January that says ‘dozens’ of users of WhatsApp globally have been targeted by Paragon’s spyware.
Impacted victims include migrant rescue workers and journalists critical of the government.
If confirmed, this story would represent an unacceptable violation of fundamental rights and an attack on democracy itself.Barbara Floridia, an M5S senator and president of the supervisory committee for the state broadcaster
The Guardian reported that Paragon Solutions terminated its client relationship with Italy following the allegations, as the Italian government breached Paragon’s contract which does not allow journalists or members of civil society to be targeted.
The Italian government denied that domestic intelligence services or the government were behind the alleged breaches. When asked for comment by The Guardian, a Paragon representative declined to confirm or deny the development. Paragon was recently acquired by US firm AE Industrial Partners, which did not respond to the journalist’s request for comment. In June 2025, it was reported that Italy had terminated its contract with Paragon.
Later in June 2025, a report found new evidence of two more journalists targeted in Italy using the same spyware. Meloni’s office did not reply to the journalists' request for comment; and Paragon confirmed it cancelled its contract with the Italian government after reports first emerged.
Amnesty said the new evidence confirmed the “widespread use of unlawful surveillance” in Italy. The human rights organisation has urged Italian authorities to fully disclose details of the operations and facilitate reparation pathways for victims.