Beppe Caccia, one of the founders of Italy's "Mediterranea Saving Humans" NGO, revealed that he was targeted by a spyware attack via WhatsApp. Another co-founder, Luca Casarini, also received a similar notification from WhatsApp last week.
At a press conference organized by European Parliament member Sandro Ruotolo, Casarini stated that he had filed a complaint with the Prosecutor's Office in Palermo, Italy, and emphasized his intention to determine who was targeting him and his organization.
WhatsApp announced on January 31 that it had halted the spyware campaign and sent notifications to approximately 90 users. However, the specific country behind the attack has not been disclosed. Those reported to have been targeted by the Paragon spyware include Francesco Cancellato, director of the Fanpage.it news site, Libyan activist Husam El Gomati, and Casarini.
The Italian government has denied orchestrating the attacks and stated that individuals with legal protections, such as journalists, were not under surveillance by Italian intelligence services.
Additionally, David Yambio, the founder of another Italian NGO, also reported being targeted by a spyware attack. While he wasn't targeted via WhatsApp, Apple warned him about another spyware program. It remains unclear whether Yambio was part of the same campaign targeted by Paragon.
Both Paragon and the Italian government have declined to comment on the matter.
