WhatsApp says it disrupted a adware marketing campaign final month that focused journalists and civil society members, in accordance with studies from The Guardian and Reuters. The marketing campaign originated from an Israeli adware firm referred to as Paragon Options and impacted round 90 customers.
WhatsApp instructed The Guardian that it has reached out to affected customers, saying it had “excessive confidence” that they had been focused and “probably compromised.” The Meta-owned app additionally despatched a cease-and-desist order to Paragon and is “exploring its authorized choices,” The Guardian studies.
Paragon, which Reuters referred to as a competitor to Pegasus maker NSO Group, payments itself as an “moral” cyber protection firm. It was acquired by the Florida-based personal funding agency AE Industrial Companions final yr, whereas a current report from Wired revealed that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement signed a $2 million contract with Paragon in September 2024.
“That is the newest instance of why adware corporations have to be held accountable for his or her illegal actions,” WhatsApp stated in an announcement to The Guardian. “WhatsApp will proceed to guard folks’s potential to speak privately.” WhatsApp didn’t instantly reply to The Verge’s request for extra info.
