Italian prosecutors investigating a domestic spying scandal say they have independently confirmed that activists and a journalist were hacked at the same time in late 2024, suggesting all three were part of the same “infection campaign”.

The controversy over the hacking claims erupted in early 2025, when WhatsApp revealed it had discovered that 90 people, including journalists and members of civil society, had been targeted by hacking software made by Paragon Solutions, a spyware maker in Israel but which is now owned by US investors.

Like other spyware makers, Paragon sells use of its spyware, known as Graphite, to government agencies, who are supposed to use it to fight and prevent crime. It can hack into any phone, without users knowing their mobiles have in effect been taken over. Paragon has previously confirmed it cancelled its contract with the Italian government after reports first emerged that some people had been targeted.