Governments Hack Journalists With Spyware—And Press Freedom Is Dead
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.
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Posted by someone who backs encryption—but fears state surveillance more.
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