Meta's WhatsApp says Israeli spyware company Paragon targeted users: Reuters
CNBCJAN 28
WhatsApp Says Israeli Spyware Targeted Journalists, Civil Service Workers
Above: In this photo illustration, the WhatsApp logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen on Jan. 30, 2025, in Canada. Image copyright: Thomas Fuller/Contributor/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
While Israeli spyware has faced scrutiny, particularly regarding certain governments' access to these tools, this does not diminish the vital role Israel plays in global cybersecurity. Israel has pioneered advanced encryption, threat detection, and secure communications, protecting critical infrastructure worldwide. As cyber threats grow, Israeli innovation remains essential to safeguarding digital security on a global scale.
Narrative B
Israeli cybersecurity firms don't just develop spyware that happens to fall into the wrong hands; they are directly linked to intelligence agencies like Mossad and the CIA and used to target sovereign nations. For example, Pegasus was used in Mexico to surveil journalists, as is the case across the world. These agencies collaborate to illegally suppress dissent. Even the US government, which works with these companies covertly, was forced to blacklist NSO Group.