Rabat – Meta’s messaging app WhatsApp has accused an Israeli spyware company of hacking the phones of nearly 100 journalists and civil society members.
The platform said it had “high confidence” that these users were targeted and “possibly compromised” by spyware from Paragon Solutions, an Israeli hacking software firm, the Guardian reported.
The spyware attack was carried out using a “zero-click” method, meaning victims did not need to click on any links to be infected.
According to WhatsApp, the infection was spread through a PDF file sent in group chats. Once installed, the spyware, known as Graphite, could access all data on the phone, including messages from encrypted apps like WhatsApp, added the report.
The attack was reportedly disrupted in December, but WhatsApp is now notifying affected users about the breach. “This is the latest example of why spyware companies must be held accountable for their unlawful actions,” a WhatsApp spokesperson told The Guardian.
Meanwhile, Reuters quoted a WhatsApp official as saying that the company “will continue to protect people’s ability to communicate privately,” adding that the platform had sent a “cease and desist” letter to Paragon and was considering legal action.
Paragon Solutions has recently faced scrutiny after reports that it signed a $2 million contract with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Reports later suggest that the US government paused the deal to check if it violated an executive order restricting spyware use.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) raised concerns about the deal and warned that this spyware, similar to Pegasus, could be used to violate human rights, particularly by targeting journalists, activists, and migrants.
“If the Biden administration is serious about preventing spyware abuses, it should take on the industry as a whole and hold itself, and its executive agencies, like ICE, to the same human rights standards,” HRW said.
Paragon was founded by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and was reportedly recently sold to a US private equity firm for $900 million, though the deal is said to still require approval from Israeli regulators.
