WhatsApp has accused Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions of targeting dozens of users, including journalists and civil society members, in a recent cyberattack.
A WhatsApp official confirmed Friday that Meta, the platform’s parent company, sent a formal letter to Paragon demanding an immediate halt to its alleged surveillance activities. WhatsApp reiterated its commitment to user privacy, stating it “will continue defending the right of users to communicate securely.”
According to the official, approximately 90 individuals were targeted, but their identities and locations were not disclosed. WhatsApp claims to have “disrupted” the attack and referred affected accounts to Citizen Lab, a Canadian internet watchdog group. While the official did not elaborate on how WhatsApp linked the intrusion to Paragon, law enforcement agencies and industry partners were reportedly notified.
Paragon, a lesser-known player in the spyware industry, has not commented on the allegations. The firm, like other surveillance software providers, markets its technology as a tool for law enforcement and national security. However, similar spyware has previously been found on the phones of journalists, activists, and opposition politicians, fueling global concerns over the misuse of surveillance technology.
Reports indicate that AE Industrial Partners, a Florida-based investment firm, recently acquired Paragon. Despite Paragon’s claims that it sells its products exclusively to democratic governments, the WhatsApp revelations cast doubt on those assertions.
Natalia Krapiva, legal counsel at digital rights group Access Now, noted that Paragon had been perceived as less controversial than its competitors but said the WhatsApp case challenges that notion. “These abuses are not exceptions—they are a structural part of the commercial spyware industry,” she stated.
Neither Paragon nor AE Industrial Partners have issued a public response to the allegations.
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