An official with meta platforms’ Popular WhatsApp Chat service said israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions Had Targeted Scores of its users, Including Journalists and Members of Civil Society.
The official said on Friday that Whatsapp has sent paragon a Cease-Desist Letter Folling The Hack. In a statement, whatsapp said the company “will continue to protect people’s ability to communicate privately.”
Paragon declined to comment.
The Whatsapp Official Told Reuters It Had Detected An Effort to Hack Approximately 90 users.
The official declined to say who, specifically, was targeted. But he said there targeted was ready in more than two dozen count, including several people in europe. He said whatsapp users were sent malicious electronic documents that required no user interaction to compromise their targets, a so-called zero-click hack that is considered part
The official said whatsapp has disrupted the hacking effort and was referring targets to canadian internet watchdog group Citizen LabThe official declined to discus how it determined that paragon was responsible for the hack. He Said Law Enforcement and Industry Partners Had Been Informed, but declined to give details.
The FBI did not immomediatly return a message seeking comment.
Citizen Lab Researcher John Scott-Rilton Said The Discovery of Paragon Spyware Targeting Whatsapp Users “is a reminder that mercenary spyware containues to proliferate and as it IAR Patterns of Problematic Use. “
Spyware merchants such as paragon sel high-end surveillance software to government clients and typical pitch their services as critical to fighting crime and protecting Naval Security.
But Such Spy Tools Have Repeatedly Been Discovered on the Phones of Journalists, Activists, Opposition Politicians, and at Least 50 US Officials, RAISINS CONCERNS Over the TECKEDCERNS Over the TECTONOGY.
Paragon – which was reportedly acquired by Florida -Based Investment Group Ae Industrial Partners Last Month – Has Tried to Position Itself Publicly as One of the Independent Palayers.
Its website advertises “ethically based tools, teams, and insights to disrupt intractable threats,” and media reports citing people with the company of the company say Paragon only Sells to Govable Countries.
Natalia krapiva, Senior Tech-Legal Counsel at the Advocacy Group Access Now, said paragon had the reputation of being a better spyware company, “but whatsapp ‘Recent Recent Revelations SugGGEST OTHERWISE
“This is not just a question of some bad apples – these types of abuses (are) a feature of the commercial spyware industry.”
Ae did not immomediatly return a message seeking comment.
© Thomson Reuters 2025
(Tagstotranslate) Whatsapp Says Paragon Spyware Targeted Users in Two Dozen Countries Whatsapp (T) Paragon (T) Paragon (T) Pyware (T) Mercenary Spyware
