Denmark and Singapore have been identified as potential users of advanced commercial spyware in a new report by Citizen Lab, a research group based at the University of Toronto. The report, which investigates the activities of the Israeli spyware vendor Paragon Solutions, maps suspected deployments of its spyware tool, Graphite, in multiple countries, including Denmark, Singapore, Australia, Canada, Italy and Israel.
Citizen Lab’s findings indicate that Denmark and Singapore, along with several European nations such as Cyprus and Italy, may be or have been among the clients of Paragon Solutions. However, the full extent of the spyware’s use in these countries remains unclear.
The Citizen Lab report does not specify the exact agencies or organizations within Denmark and Singapore suspected to be involved. But in Canada, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has been linked to the use of Graphite spyware, as indicated by matching IP addresses and court records showing past use of surveillance tools to infect mobile devices. The Italian government has also acknowledged a contract with Paragon for national security purposes but has denied using the spyware against journalists and activists.
As for Denmark and Singapore, the absence of detailed local reporting means that the specific users of the spyware within these countries remain unidentified.
Paragon, founded by former Israeli intelligence operatives, has been linked to spyware infections targeting at least 90 individuals, including journalists and activists. Earlier this year, Meta reported discovering Graphite being used to attack users of its WhatsApp messaging service.
The report has sparked concerns about the oversight and regulation of commercial spyware in democratic nations. Privacy advocates warn that such surveillance tools could be misused without adequate transparency or legal safeguards. In response to related revelations, members of the European Parliament have called for stricter regulations and greater accountability in the use of spyware across the EU.
Paragon Solutions, which was recently acquired by the Florida-based private equity firm AE Industrial Partners, operates discreetly and lacks a public-facing website. It remains to be seen whether authorities in Denmark, Singapore, or other implicated countries will address the allegations raised in the Citizen Lab report.
Sources: The Record and Euractiv.com