Tech Giants Take a Stand Against Spyware
In a significant move for digital privacy, Apple and WhatsApp have publicly committed to continue warning users whose mobile phones are targeted by governments using sophisticated hacking software. This pledge comes as two spyware manufacturers, both originally founded in Israel and now under American ownership, are aggressively seeking access to the US market, making inroads with the Trump administration.
The Spyware Companies and Their US Connections
The situation involves two key players: Paragon Solutions and NSO Group. Paragon, the maker of Graphite spyware, secured a deal with the Trump administration in September 2025, granting US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to its powerful hacking tool. This occurred after the Department of Homeland Security lifted a freeze on a $2 million contract.
Simultaneously, NSO Group, which was previously sanctioned by the Biden administration in 2021 for activities contrary to US interests, announced that David Friedman, the former US ambassador to Israel under Donald Trump, has become the executive chairman of its holding company. The company, now under new investors including American film producer Robert Simonds, is positioning itself for a renewed push into the American market.
The spyware produced by these companies can completely take control of a phone, enabling the user to read texts, listen to calls, track location, and even turn the device into a remote listening device or camera, all without the owner's knowledge.
Global Repercussions and the Italian Scandal
While the companies defend their products as tools for fighting serious crime and terrorism, their spyware has repeatedly been abused by government clients to secretly monitor journalists, business leaders, and human rights activists.
This was starkly illustrated in a major scandal in Italy. In January 2025, WhatsApp revealed that 90 individuals, including journalists and civil society members, had been targeted by Paragon's Graphite software. Subsequent reports detailed how Italian journalists, business executives—including the CEO of a major bank—activists, and a political strategist were hacked in 2024.
The incident was labelled the "Italian Watergate" by former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who called the use of such tools against the press "unacceptable in a liberal democracy." Paragon subsequently ended its relationship with the Italian government, suggesting its terms of service, which prohibit targeting civil society, had been violated.
A Looming Threat to Civil Liberties
The prospect of US immigration officials wielding such powerful surveillance tools has raised alarm among senior political figures. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden expressed extreme concern, stating, "I’m extremely concerned about how ICE will use spyware... to further trample on the rights of Americans and anyone who Donald Trump labels as an enemy."
Experts echo these concerns. John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab, warned, "Nobody is protected when it comes to mercenary spyware... The last thing America needs right now is a silent spyware epidemic." He emphasised that American institutions, from businesses to hospitals, are unprepared for this domestic threat.
Despite the close relationships tech giants maintain with the Trump administration, both Apple and Meta (WhatsApp's owner) have reaffirmed their commitment to user security. Apple stated that threat notifications are sent regardless of a user's geographic location, and a WhatsApp spokesperson pledged to protect users "no matter where they are in the world."
As the legal and ethical battle over the domestic use of commercial spyware intensifies, the vows from Apple and WhatsApp represent a critical front in the defence of global digital privacy.
