Francesco Cancellato Condemns Attack as an Assault on Press Freedom

Italian journalist Francesco Cancellato, known for exposing far-right extremism within Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party, was targeted by Israeli spyware. A WhatsApp notification informed him that his phone may have been compromised.

Cancellato, editor-in-chief of Fanpage, was the first to go public after WhatsApp revealed that at least 90 journalists and civil society figures had been targeted. The attack affected users across more than 24 countries, including several in Europe.

WhatsApp Exploit Used to Deploy Spyware

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, detected and blocked the Paragon spyware in December. The malware, called Graphite, is marketed for government use but has been misused to monitor journalists.

Paragon allegedly delivered the spyware through PDF files in unauthorized group chats, infecting devices without user interaction.

The length of Cancellato’s surveillance remains unclear, but the attack came months after his 2023 investigation into the Brothers of Italy party. His team exposed members engaging in Nazi salutes, chanting fascist slogans, and making antisemitic remarks.

EU Officials Denounce Surveillance of Journalists

Cancellato, 45, said he was unaware of any official probe against him. He has launched a technical review to determine the extent of the breach.

His reporting sparked criticism of Meloni’s party in Italy and Brussels. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned fascist symbolism, calling it “morally unacceptable”. The Jewish Community of Rome demanded firm action against extremism.

Despite Brothers of Italy MP Giovanni Donzelli insisting his party does not tolerate racists or extremists, the spyware attack has raised serious concerns about political surveillance and threats to press freedom.