The Israeli company reportedly spied on journalists and civil society members.

On January 31, 2025, WhatsApp accused the Israeli company Paragon of deploying spyware on the smartphones of 90 individuals, including journalists and civil society members. Malicious PDF files, distributed via the messaging app, allowed attackers to compromise their phones and monitor them without their knowledge.

“We have directly contacted those we believe were affected,” WhatsApp spokesperson Zade Alsawah told TechCrunch. Meta’s messaging platform stated that it has implemented fixes to block this intrusion technique but did not disclose the victims’ countries of origin.

Founded in 2019, Paragon operates discreetly, without an official website. Unlike its counterparts NSO Group or Intellexa, the company had never been linked to illegal spying operations before. Contacted for comment, Paragon’s CEO, Idan Nurick, declined to respond.

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