The Israeli spyware firm that accidentally just exposed itself
9 days ago
- #human-rights
- #privacy
- #surveillance
- Paragon Solutions, an Israeli surveillance company, accidentally exposed its spyware dashboard on LinkedIn, revealing its global surveillance operations.
- The company's flagship product, Graphite, is a highly targeted spyware system sold to state agencies, capable of compromising devices without user interaction.
- Paragon was acquired for $900 million by U.S. private equity firm AE Industrial Partners, with former Israeli PM Ehud Barak reportedly earning $10-15 million from the deal.
- The spyware can access stored data, activate microphones and cameras, and intercept messages before encryption or after decryption.
- Paragon attempted to position itself as an 'ethical' alternative to NSO Group's Pegasus, but researchers argue that device-level compromise grants access to all data.
- Meta notified 90 WhatsApp users in early 2025 that their devices were targeted by Paragon-linked spyware, highlighting the vulnerability of encrypted communications.
- Israeli surveillance technology, developed for monitoring Palestinians, is now sold globally, including to U.S. immigration enforcement agencies like ICE.
- The surveillance industry profits from the erosion of privacy and digital security, with former intelligence officials and politicians often involved in these companies.
- The tools used to control Palestinians are now employed to monitor immigrants, activists, and journalists worldwide, raising ethical and human rights concerns.
- The article calls for accountability and resistance against the unchecked growth of the surveillance industry, which commodifies human vulnerability.