Paragon CEO: Italy Contracts Cut Over Risk, Not Probe
Andrew Boyd tells WIRED Paragon dropped Italy deals over risk after WhatsApp's spyware claims, and says the firm cannot detect misuse or remotely disable its tool.
Paragon Solutions canceled its contracts with Italy's domestic and foreign intelligence agencies because keeping the relationship was not worth the risk after WhatsApp's allegations, not because of an investigation, CEO Andrew Boyd said in an interview with WIRED.
Boyd, who leads both Paragon and REDLattice, also said the company has no technical way to know if customers misuse its spyware, because it cannot see who customers target or the data extracted from targeted devices.
He added that Paragon has no kill switch to disable customers when misuse occurs. The company can only halt 24-hour support and system updates, without which the system becomes ineffective in about 12 hours, he said.
Background
In December 2024, Paragon, then Israeli-owned, was acquired by US equity firm AE Industrial Partners and merged with REDLattice. In 2025, WhatsApp alleged that Paragon's Graphite spyware infected the phones of more than 60 individuals in more than 20 countries, including journalists and activists.
The University of Toronto's Citizen Lab named two journalists and two activists in Italy as targets. Italian authorities denied misuse of the spyware. Paragon initially declined to comment on the allegations and reportedly explored legal action against WhatsApp after receiving a cease-and-desist letter. Within a week of the allegations, Paragon canceled its two contracts with Italy's domestic and foreign intelligence agencies.
NSO Group has faced criticism for selling Pegasus spyware to Saudi Arabia and other countries with poor human rights records. REDLattice announced plans this week to go public.
Quick answers
Why did Paragon cancel its Italy contracts?
CEO Andrew Boyd said the company ended the deals because maintaining the relationship was not worth the risk after WhatsApp's allegations, not because of an investigation.
Can Paragon detect or stop spyware misuse by customers?
Boyd said Paragon cannot see who customers target or the data extracted, and has no kill switch. It can only halt support and updates, which makes the system ineffective in about 12 hours.
What did WhatsApp allege about Paragon's Graphite spyware?
In 2025, WhatsApp alleged that Graphite infected the phones of more than 60 individuals in more than 20 countries, including journalists and activists.