Australian government agencies may be potential clients of military-grade surveillance software from Israel-based firm Paragon Solutions, according to a recent report. In January, Meta reported that over 90 individuals, including journalists, had their WhatsApp compromised by the applications; however, it remains unclear whether any Australians were affected.
A report by the Citizen Lab published on March 2025 revealed IP addresses in Australia among countries suspected of using Paragon’s Graphite spyware tool. Although the domains linked to the suspected usage in Australia did not show prior ownership records, any federal or state agency could have potentially used them.
The spyware, which Paragon claims is exclusively for government use and not for private enterprises, grants full access to instant messaging apps on a device. Neither the Australian Department of Home Affairs nor the Australian Signals Directorate have ties to Paragon Solutions.
In response to inquiries regarding potential Australian clients or the targeting of Australians, Paragon did not address the questions directly, emphasizing instead its commitment to supporting national security and law enforcement only within legal boundaries.
The Citizen Lab’s findings come on the heels of Meta’s announcement in January, when they expressed confidence that 90 journalists and civil society members had been compromised through spyware linked to Paragon Solutions. Meta had issued a cease and desist letter to Paragon and alerted the compromised parties but declined to provide further details on whether Australians were targeted.
Figuring prominently in the incident was Francesco Cancellato, an Italian journalist known for investigations into the far-right party associated with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Cancellato came forward after receiving a WhatsApp notification about the attack. Subsequently, Paragon Solutions ended its contract with Italy following the expose. The Italian government denied involvement, with Meloni’s office stating that neither domestic intelligence services nor the government were responsible for the alleged breaches against the journalist and activists.
Citizen Lab, a research group based at the University of Toronto, specializes in studying cyber and surveillance tactics.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/21/australian-government-agencies-could-be-customers-of-israeli-spyware-research-suggests-ntwnfb
