Cabinet Minister Luca Ciriani addressed parliament, affirming Italy's longstanding contract with Paragon Solutions for intelligence-gathering aimed at combating terrorism, while denying any illegal surveillance of journalists.

Following this revelation, the Italian government confirmed on February 5, 2025, that at least seven cellphones had been hacked using military-grade spyware, prompting an investigation.

In light of the public outcry regarding the spyware attack, reports emerged that Paragon Solutions had halted one of its contracts with Italy, although its contract for intelligence services remained active.

On January 31, 2025, Meta's WhatsApp disclosed that a spyware campaign from Israeli firm Paragon Solutions had targeted numerous individuals across the EU, including journalists and civil society members.

Among those targeted by the spyware were Luca Casarini, head of the migrant rescue group Mediterranea Saving Humans, and Francesco Cancellato, editor of the critical news outlet Fanpage.

Cancellato expressed concerns that he was specifically targeted to expose his investigative work, particularly reports on Premier Giorgia Meloni's party.

Ciriani warned of potential legal action against allegations of unlawful surveillance and emphasized the need for judicial authorities to investigate the vulnerabilities.

He also called for an investigation into the alleged hacking, asserting that Italian intelligence services are prepared to assist in the inquiry.

Cancellato speculated that the hacking aimed to uncover sensitive investigative stories being developed by Fanpage, which has published critical reports on the government.

Casarini criticized the government's collaboration with Libya to prevent migrant departures and stated he was cooperating with prosecutors regarding the spyware attack.

Paragon Solutions, which exclusively collaborates with state entities, has not responded to inquiries regarding the spyware allegations.

Judicial authorities are now tasked with investigating the sources of the claimed vulnerabilities, with full support from Italian intelligence services.