Italian Prosecutors Confirm Hacking of Activists and Journalist

Italian prosecutors have confirmed that two immigration activists, Giuseppe Caccia and Luca Casarini, along with journalist Francesco Cancellato, were victims of a coordinated hacking campaign in late 2024. This revelation raises significant concerns regarding the involvement of the far-right government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has denied any connection to the hacking incidents. The spyware used in these attacks was developed by Paragon Solutions, an Israeli company now owned by U.S. investors, which sells its technology to government agencies for crime prevention.

The Guardian

The controversy surrounding the hacking claims began in early 2025 when WhatsApp disclosed that 90 individuals, including journalists and civil society members, had been targeted by Paragon's spyware, known as Graphite. Cancellato, who leads the online investigative outlet Fanpage and has published critical reports about Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, was the first to publicly disclose his hacking experience.

The Guardian

A parliamentary investigation initially found that Caccia and Casarini had been legally targeted by Italian intelligence, but it did not confirm Cancellato's hacking. However, recent findings from independent prosecutors in Rome and Naples contradict this, confirming that Cancellato's phone was indeed compromised. The prosecutors stated, “Among all the mobile phones acquired by the numerous plaintiffs, traces of activity attributable to malware were found exclusively on three Android devices,” indicating a single infection campaign.

The Guardian

The hacking scandal has contributed to a decline in press freedom in Italy, with the country’s ranking in the World Press Freedom Index dropping from 41st in 2023 to 49th in 2025. During a press conference in January, Meloni faced questions from Cancellato regarding her administration's role in the spying, to which she responded defensively, asserting that her government was committed to uncovering the truth.

The Guardian

Cancellato described the prosecutors' report as “a small, important step towards the truth,” emphasizing the validation of his experience. John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at the Citizen Lab, highlighted the significance of the findings, stating that they raise serious questions about the prior investigations conducted by Italian authorities. He noted that the case poses challenges for both the Italian government and Paragon Solutions, as it involves the hacking of a journalist using what was marketed as "ethical" spyware.

The Guardian

The investigation continues as prosecutors aim to identify the perpetrators behind the hacking campaign. The implications of this case extend beyond individual privacy violations, touching on broader issues of press freedom and governmental accountability in Italy.

The Guardian