Spyware Scandal: Italian Journalists Under Surveillance

A second case of spyware targeting involving Italian journalists has intensified questions over surveillance practices, Citizen Lab revealed. Investigative journalist Ciro Pellegrino's iPhone was compromised by software from U.S.-owned Paragon. The surveillance scandal has severed ties between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's administration and Paragon, amid a backdrop of political controversy.

Fanpage editor-in-chief Francesco Cancellato was also alerted by WhatsApp to Paragon's technology targeting him, fuelling concerns about press freedom. The online newspaper has been critical of Meloni's government, linking it to neo-Nazi activity. Paragon has denied the misuse of its systems, but Italian officials have yet to comment on the Citizen Lab's findings.

The discovery has prompted political figures, like Democratic Party spokesman Sandro Ruotolo, to call for renewed investigations. While an Italian parliamentary panel found no evidence of intelligence misuse against Fanpage, the targeting of Pellegrino raises doubts about the depth of their inquiry.

(With inputs from agencies.)