Political consultant Francesco Nicodemo targeted by Paragon spyware
Political consultant Francesco Nicodemo, who advises Italian centre-left electoral campaigns, reportedly received a warning on January 31, 2025, that his phone was infected with Paragon spyware, an Israeli surveillance tool sold only to state authorities. The case expands concerns about the scope and purpose of Paragon use in Italy, with researchers noting that the number of unexplained targets is growing.
What happened
Francesco Nicodemo, a political consultant and founder of the communication agency Lievito who previously worked as a communications adviser to Matteo Renzi and the Democratic Party, received a WhatsApp Support message on January 31, 2025, warning that his phone was targeted by Paragon spyware.
Nicodemo was working on multiple electoral campaigns for centre-left candidates at the time of the intrusion. Paragon is described as software sold exclusively to state authorities and manufactured by an Israeli company.
Reported impact
The incident expands the known scope of Paragon spyware misuse in Italy beyond journalists and business figures to include political consultants and campaign operatives.
Scott Railton from Citizen Lab stated that the number of individuals targeted by Paragon whose cases remain unexplained is growing daily, and expressed concern about the abuse of surveillance tools in a political context.
Index analysis
Citizen Lab, the independent research centre at the University of Toronto, identified the Paragon intrusion. Railton noted that Nicodemo's political connections make the case significant for understanding the scope of surveillance.
Governance controls
Italian government and intelligence services informed the Copasir (parliamentary oversight body) that they had used Paragon to target activists from Mediterranea, but provided no explanation for the surveillance of Nicodemo and other journalists and business figures.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.