A prominent Italian businessman was targeted by Paragon spyware, according to local news reports.
On Thursday, Italian online investigative website Ilpimedia and newspaper La Stampa reported that Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone was among about 90 people who received a notification from WhatsApp in January warning them that they were being targeted by spyware made by Paragon Solutions.
It was not immediately clear why Mr. Caltagirone was targeted, and a spokesperson for his holding company, Caltagirone SpA, did not respond to a request for comment.
Caltagirone's namesake holding company owns several companies across a variety of industries, including construction, real estate, finance and publishing, including Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.
Mr. Caltagirone becomes the first Italian businessman to be added to the list of Paragon victims. Other victims so far include journalists Francesco Cancellato and Ciro Pellegrino, who work for the online news site Fanpage. Migrant activists Luca Cassarini and Giuseppe Caccia work for Mediterranean Rescue Humanity, an Italian non-governmental organization that helps rescue migrants in the Mediterranean.
With allegations targeting Caltagirone, Italy's ongoing Paragon spyware scandal extends beyond journalists and activists to victims. Paragon cut ties with the Italian government, whose intelligence agency was a client, after reports that journalists on fan pages were targeted.
Paragon, which has long claimed to be an “ethical” spyware maker, is headquartered in Israel and was acquired by US private equity giant AE Industrial in December 2024. As part of the deal, Paragon will reportedly merge with cybersecurity company REDLattice.
When TechCrunch reached out to Paragon in September for comment about the company's contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a company spokesperson referred questions to REDLattice's vice president of marketing, Jennifer Iras, suggesting the merger may have been completed.
Paragon and WhatsApp did not respond to requests for comment.
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