Paragon Fails To Answer Italian Prosecutors’ Requests Over Graphite Spyware, Report Finds

Italian investigators say the Israeli‑American surveillance firm hasn’t responded to formal inquiries routed through Israel about a hacking campaign that targeted journalists and activists, leaving a year‑old criminal probe stalled.

Prosecutors in Rome and Naples told intermediaries in Israel they wanted information from Paragon Solutions after dozens of people in Italy were notified last year by tech companies that their phones had been compromised. Those notifications — from messaging platforms and device makers — accused the company’s Graphite product of being used in an operation that hit roughly ninety people worldwide. Several of the Italian recipients, including reporters and immigration activists, filed complaints that triggered the joint magistrates’ inquiry; according to reporting in Italy, Paragon has not replied to the official letters.

The dispute opened publicly when Paragon accused the Italian government of refusing its offer to examine whether a journalist’s phone had been infiltrated with Graphite, and the company subsequently canceled contracts with the country’s intelligence services. That move was unusual — vendors seldom go public with customers — and it drew attention to Paragon’s attempts to cultivate an image distinct from better‑known spyware makers entangled in scandals. The firm’s web presence advertised an ethics‑forward approach before the pages stopped loading; company spokespeople did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Observers say a number of forces may explain the silence. One policy analyst who follows export controls said national security law can sometimes restrict what domestic companies disclose overseas, and in practice governments have in past cases limited cooperation with foreign probes. Critics point to a prior episode when documents tied to another Israeli vendor were seized amid litigation, arguing that state intervention might complicate a company’s ability to comply with foreign judicial demands. Spain’s highest court recently closed its own probe into a different Israeli supplier after citing a lack of responses from Israeli authorities, underscoring the diplomatic hurdles that can slow cross‑border investigations.

Meanwhile, forensic researchers have confirmed at least some of the Italian suspicions. An independent technical lab reported that two journalists for the online outlet Fanpage had devices showing traces consistent with Graphite infections. A parliamentary panel that reviewed the matter earlier concluded the surveillance of certain migration activists was within the law while finding no proof in one journalist’s case and declining to examine the other. More recently, prosecutors said a forensic analysis verified that one reporter’s handset had been compromised, while the evidence for the second remained inconclusive. The criminal inquiry remains active as investigators seek to piece together who ordered the intrusions and why.

The episode has broader implications: Paragon is reported to hold an active contract with U.S. immigration authorities, whose law‑enforcement arm says it uses the tool in investigations into terrorism and narcotics. Civil liberties groups and privacy researchers have urged more transparency and clearer legal safeguards around the export and use of intrusive surveillance software. For this story, reporters sought comment from Paragon, the Israeli embassy in Washington and the magistrates’ offices handling the case; none replied to requests. Journalists and others with additional information about the alleged attacks are being encouraged to contact the reporting team through secure channels.