1 min read

Governments Hack Journalists With Spyware—And Press Freedom Is Dead

Governments Hack Journalists With Spyware—And Press Freedom Is Dead
Photo by Jana Shnipelson / Unsplash

TL;DR: European journalists at Fanpage.it, investigative reporters in Serbia, and activists have been targeted by spyware sold to governments. The spyware industry is growing under corporate-fueled democracy claims. And we see activists in chains—not headlines.


Who’s Being Hacked

  • Citizen Lab confirmed Graphite spyware (by Paragon Solutions) infected Italian journalists in early 2025—zero-click attacks on iPhones.
  • COPASIR, Italy’s oversight committee, confirmed state surveillance of activists. Paragon cut government ties amid the scandal.
  • In Serbia, BIRN journalists were targeted with Pegasus spyware again—and Amnesty International documented repeated attacks.

Why We Don’t Care

  • Spyware is “bad actor” tech in news blurbs—but installed by governments on activists and journalists.
  • Global press freedom stats rise—but actual freedom falls in the logfiles.
  • We scrutinize privacy apps, not assassination tools disguised as software.

TL;DR

  • Governments spy on truth-tellers using mercenary spyware.
  • Firms promise ethics while signing contracts.
  • Citizens chuckle over memes while journalists get hacked.

Posted by someone who backs encryption—but fears state surveillance more.