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Graphite, the Israeli spyware acquired by ICE


Paragon’s technology is one of the most powerful commercial espionage tools available, and can covertly activate microphones to turn smartphones into listening devices

Biden’s March 2023 executive order explicitly restricted U.S. agencies from employing spyware vendors whose tools posed “significant counterintelligence and security risks” or had been misused by foreign governments to suppress dissent. Once installed, it can take complete control of the target’s phone and extract text messages, emails, and photos; infiltrate encrypted apps like Signal and WhatsApp; access cloud backups; and covertly activate microphones to turn smartphones into listening devices. The company also sent Paragon a cease-and-desist letter following a legal battle it previously won against its rival, Israeli spyware provider NSO Group, the creator of Pegasus — a program used in multiple countries to spy on journalists and activists.

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