• Italy has terminated its contract with Israeli spyware firm Paragon.
• The decision follows allegations that the spyware was used to target critics of the government.
• Members of the Mediterranea charity were among those allegedly surveilled.
• The government denies engaging in illegal spying and has called for an investigation.
• Opposition parties have demanded a full inquiry into the surveillance practices.

Italy has officially cut ties with Israeli spyware manufacturer Paragon following a scandal over allegations that the technology was used to surveil critics, including journalists and members of the Mediterranea migrant rescue group. This decision was confirmed in a parliamentary report released by the intelligence oversight committee COPASIR, highlighting the awakening political controversy surrounding the government's actions, according to Channel News Asia, Al Jazeera, and TRT Global.

The allegations emerged amid claims that the Italian government used Paragon's spyware to unlawfully monitor seven individuals, contrary to initial assertions made to parliament in February that the contract was still active. COPASIR's findings indicated that the surveillance was purportedly authorized by a prosecutor, but it raised concerns over whether state surveillance laws were adhered to, leading to calls from the Italian journalists' federation for a full investigation, according to Channel News Asia and Al Jazeera.

The report by COPASIR noted that the Italian domestic and foreign intelligence agencies had initiated contracts with Paragon during 2023 and 2024, employing the spyware in limited cases related to criminal investigations, which included tracking fugitives and addressing national security threats. The government's justification for the surveillance was focused on tackling terrorism and illegal immigration, not as a response to the charity's activism. Specifically, members of the Mediterranea charity were surveilled due to their alleged connections to irregular immigration, said the report, according to Channel News Asia, Al Jazeera, and TRT Global.

Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, the top intelligence adviser for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, authorized the use of Paragon spyware on activists Luca Casarini and Beppe Caccia on September 5, 2024. Further legal challenges arose when a Sicilian court ordered these individuals and four others from the Mediterranea organization to stand trial on charges of aiding illegal immigration—a first for rescue vessel crew members in Italy. All accused party members deny the charges, emphasizing the dire implications for humanitarian efforts in the Mediterranean, according to Channel News Asia, Al Jazeera, and TRT Global.