Cancellato is the first target to come forward following the disclosure of a hacking campaign carried out using spyware allegedly made by Paragon Solutions, as WhatsApp claimed on Friday.

WhatsApp has revealed it has disrupted a spyware hacking campaign targeting journalists and prominent members of civil society. The spyware in question belongs to Paragon, a commercial spyware company founded by former Israeli intelligence officers, which Meta-owned WhatsApp has directly implicated in the campaign.

Italy faced pressure on Friday to explain its relationship with Israeli spyware maker Paragon following reports that the company had cut ties with Rome over allegations that the government had used its technology to hack the phones of critics instead of criminals.

An official at Meta’s popular WhatsApp chat service has said Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions targeted 90 of its users, including journalists and members of civil society. The official told the Reuters news agency on Friday that WhatsApp had sent Paragon a cease-and-desist letter following the hack.

The Italian government has confirmed in a statement that seven of its citizens, and many others across Europe, were targeted by Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions.

A major scandal involving Israeli spyware firm Paragon has rocked Italy and Europe, sparking outrage across the region. Reports have revealed that journalists and activists in Italy were spied on using Paragon’s surveillance software,