this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2025
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An Italian parliamentary committee has confirmed that the government used the Israeli-made spyware Graphite, developed by the offensive cyber company Paragon, to hack the smartphones of several activists working with migrants.

The committee confirmed that Paragon provided Graphite to two Italian agencies, including the country's external intelligence service, starting in 2023. The version of Graphite provided did not include the ability to activate the phone's microphone or camera, the report said. Instead, it only enabled its operators access to encrypted communications on the hacked devices.

The report also confirmed that Graphite exploited a vulnerability in WhatsApp that Meta identified and patched in December 2024, one month before the spyware's activity was publicly disclosed. The vulnerability's discovery also caused "panic" at Israel's military intelligence Unit 8200, according to the recent Israeli television report.

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[–] HiddenLayer555@lemmy.ml 85 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (37 children)

Say the line Bart!

sigh, "Unlike insert socialist country here, the West has freedom of speech and the right to express your opinions without the secret police coming after you."

YAYYYYYYY!

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[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 days ago

In other words, our good democratic ally in the Middle East is doing good things.

[–] PoisonedPrisonPanda@discuss.tchncs.de 42 points 4 days ago (5 children)

it only enabled its operators access to encrypted communications...

what the heck? isnt this much worse than simple microphone access?

[–] CatsGoMOW@lemmy.world 27 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] MajorMajormajormajor@lemmy.ca 21 points 4 days ago

"We only broke into your house and stole your shit, we didn't stab you in your sleep. You're welcome. "

[–] interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 8 points 3 days ago

They are also dirty grubby disgusting liars. They can turn on the microphone while it is off. While the whole phone is "off" which it never really is. That's why you can't buy a phone without a removavle battery.

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 17 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Reminds me of when the NSA was spying on Yahoo Video calls so they could do their early facial recognition training.

Since it was a platform mostly used for video sex, The NSA literally made a public statement saying they had a system to blur genitals and that they were "only" training facial recognition data.

My mind was fucking blown. Who cares if you film my dick? That doesn't let you identity me from the MacDonald's cameras you hacked into. The face data is what we were worried about.

[–] atlien51@lemm.ee 8 points 3 days ago
[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 6 points 4 days ago

I think it means in the encrypted state. Still, bad.

[–] lemmyman210@sh.itjust.works 16 points 4 days ago

Why does this not surprise me??

[–] glitching@lemmy.ml 6 points 4 days ago
[–] Goten@piefed.social 8 points 4 days ago (7 children)

They hack Italian (i assume they are italian citizens) working with migrants. If real Italians arent safe from the Spying State, just imagine how safe the Data of South-Tyroleans is, italians northest province!

[–] HiddenLayer555@lemmy.ml 3 points 4 days ago (4 children)

Are Italians discriminatory toward South-Tyroleans? Do they consider them Austrian and not Italian or something? Don't know the lore.

[–] kami@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 3 days ago

actually it's the opposite, or at least some of them don't consider themselves Italians.

[–] Goten@piefed.social 4 points 3 days ago

There are Italians in South Tyrol, mostly in Meran and Bozen, which were given property and tax cuts by Mussolini to coloninse the Land. Many South Tyroleans were killed and their property stolen. The Italians still vote far right parties even after 80 years.

In Bozen you can still hear many say:"Speak italian, you are in Italy and South Tyrol is Italy."

which de jure its true, de facto not.

[–] Thebigguy@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

It kinda depends on how right wing you are afaik. There are German south tyroleans and Italian south tyroleans. I think the Italians were traditionally more left wing afaik. Tyroleans in general are weird as fuck and think they’re gods gift to humanity they will be dicks to other Austrians. There is is a tyrolean saying that if you’re not tyrolean you’re not human. Anyways Andreas Hofer is the man and reject vaccinations because they’re trying to infuse you with Bavarian ethics

If any one is tyrolean correct me if I’m wrong please

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[–] msprout@beehaw.org 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)

This software is a fucking scourge on the world. We need to switch back to the original cell phones where only one person can use the tower at a time.

[–] HiddenLayer555@lemmy.ml 14 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (3 children)

The original cell phones were unencrypted and anyone nearby with a receiver could listen in on your call, no?

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