Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone Also Targeted by Israeli Spyware

Rome: Newspaper publisher Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone has been reported to be a target of espionage by Paragon, an Israeli spyware. This spyware has been linked to surveillance activities against journalists who have published stories critical of Premier Giorgia Meloni’s party youth and the leadership of a migrant rescue NGO, as reported by Italian media.

According to Ansa News Agency, Caltagirone, a prominent Roman entrepreneur and owner of IL Messaggero, was monitored using Graphite spyware software. This software, developed by Israeli company Paragon Solutions, is reportedly employed by governments and police forces in various countries, including Italy. However, the identity of those attempting to spy on Caltagirone remains unknown. It was revealed that he, along with at least seven other individuals in Italy, received an unmistakable notification on their phones.

Caltagirone was reportedly notified via WhatsApp on the same day as journalist Francesco Cancellato, director of Fanpage, and the two founders of the NGO Mediterranea, Luca Casarini and Giuseppe “Beppe” Caccia. A detailed reconstruction by IrpiMedia and La Stampa suggested that in December 2024, Caltagirone’s phone number was linked to a WhatsApp chat with known contacts, during which a PDF file was distributed. The chat and the PDF subsequently vanished.

In the following month, as recalled by the Turin-based newspaper, WhatsApp informed the affected users of a vulnerability that had been identified and rectified, which could have permitted the installation of spyware without the need for clicking on a link or attachment. The government led by Meloni has refuted any involvement in the surveillance of Fanpage journalists and the Mediterranea founders, emphasizing that the Italian secret services have not utilized Paragon’s technology for such purposes.