By Raphael Satter WASHINGTON, April 1 (Reuters) - Messaging service WhatsApp said an Italian surveillance company tricked some 200 users into downloading a bogus version of its popular app that was
WhatsApp Exposes Italian Surveillance Campaign Targeting Users with Spyware
WhatsApp Uncovers Sophisticated Spyware Attack in Italy
By Raphael Satter
Details of the Surveillance Campaign
WASHINGTON, April 1 (Reuters) - Messaging service WhatsApp said an Italian surveillance company tricked some 200 users into downloading a bogus version of its popular app that was rigged to spy on its victims.
ASIGINT and SIO's Role in the Attack
In a statement, the Meta Platforms-owned service said the campaign was carried out by ASIGINT, a subsidiary of northern Italy-based SIO, whose website boasts of "high-performance, field-proven cyber intelligence solutions and technology."
Targeting Methods and Victim Profile
WhatsApp said the campaign was "highly targeted" and relied on deception to get victims to install "malicious software that impersonated WhatsApp." It did not identify the victims beyond saying they were "primarily" in Italy.
Responses from Involved Parties
SIO, which says on its website that it partners with "Law Enforcement Agencies, Government Organizations, Police and Intelligence Agencies," did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Italy's interior ministry referred questions to police, who did not immediately return a message.
Previous Spyware Incidents in Italy
This is the second time in 15 months that Meta has publicly disrupted spyware activity in Italy, which is still dealing with the fallout from the exposure in early 2025 of a surveillance operation carried out using spyware from the U.S.-owned firm Paragon. Italy and Paragon have since parted ways.
(Reporting by Raphael Satter, Additional reporting by Alvise Armellini in Rome, Editing by Chris Reese)
