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The Italian government has officially terminated its contract with Israeli spyware firm Paragon after allegations that the surveillance technology was used against Italian journalists and humanitarian workers.

Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, Paragon is an Israeli spyware company co-founded in 2019 by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, known for developing Graphite, a sophisticated surveillance tool capable of infiltrating smartphones to extract messages, location data, and encrypted communications. Italian foreign intelligence agencies entered into a contract with Paragon in 2023 to use its spyware in operations targeting criminal activities under judicial authorization.

Getting into it: In a notable development, the Italian government has officially canceled its contract with Paragon following public outcry and a parliamentary investigation into allegations of unlawful surveillance. The cancellation comes in the wake of revelations that the spyware, originally intended for national security operations, may have been used to target journalists and members of migrant rescue NGOs critical of the Italian government.

According to Italian officials, the move to cancel the contract with Paragon was “mutual” and driven by concerns over national security and the protection of classified intelligence operations.

This comes after a government watchdog report found that Italy’s intelligence agencies used Paragon’s spyware to monitor NGO workers, including Mediterranea Saving Humans activists Luca Casarini and Beppe Caccia. According to COPASIR, the surveillance of these individuals was not based on their humanitarian work but on alleged links to illegal activity. There are also allegations that the spyware was used to target a prominent Italian journalist.

Paragon responds: In response to their contract being terminated, Paragon stated that it had offered the Italian government and parliament “a way to determine whether its system had been used against the journalist in violation of Italian law and the contractual terms,” but that “the Italian authorities chose not to proceed with this solution.”