Spyware Maker Paragon Confirms US Government as Customer, Amidst Controversy
Paragon's spyware sales to the US government, amid journalist targeting claims, raise major privacy concerns.
Matilda
Spyware Maker Paragon Confirms US Government as Customer, Amidst Controversy
Israeli spyware firm Paragon Solutions has publicly acknowledged that it sells its controversial surveillance technology to the U.S. government, as well as other unspecified "allied" nations. This revelation comes amidst a storm of accusations that Paragon's spyware was deployed in a hacking campaign targeting journalists and human rights activists worldwide. Paragon's executive chairman, John Fleming, issued a statement to TechCrunch on Tuesday, stating that the company "licenses its technology to a select group of global democracies — principally, the United States and its allies." Fleming further emphasized that Paragon "requires that all users agree to terms and conditions that explicitly prohibit the illicit targeting of journalists and other civil society figures. We have a zero-tolerance policy against such targeting and will terminate our relationship with any customer that violates our terms of service.” However, Fleming's statement raises m…
