What about Israeli spyware that is reportedly used by the Ontario police

Researchers behind a new report to an Israeli spyware program used to follow the members of civil society, say that they have found “possible links” between controversial technology and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), which suggests that it may have been used in investigations – a statement that does not deny the power.

The report of Citizen Lab At the University of Toronto that was released this week, researchers said the IP address of a customer-based customer of Mate Solutions for the address of the general headquarters of the OPP in Toronto.

Paragon sells the military spyware program “Graphite” to government customers for national security purposes, but the tool has been found on the phones of journalists, activists and other members of civil society in the world in recent years, with the help of communication apps such as WhatsApp.

“We have also revealed judicial data that indicate a growing ecosystem of Spyware capacities under police services in Ontario,” Kate Robertson, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab and co-author of the report, told Global News.

“What these findings show is that there is an increasing gap in public consciousness about the extent to which Spyware technology is used in Canada.”

Researchers tracing servers that are connected to Paragon’s Graphite Tool found extra suspected implementations on four other Ontario addresses, including a shared warehouse, a comic wall, a brewery and an apartment.

An OPP spokesperson refused to confirm whether the paragon has contracted for research purposes, but also did not refuse the findings of the report in a statement to Global News.

“The Provincial Police of Ontario is obliged to maintain or investigate public safety and to prevent crime, while the rights and privileges of citizens and visitors to Canada are respected”, acting staff. Jeffrey del Guidice said, adding the interception of private communication “is only used to promote serious criminal investigations” and requires judicial authorization.

“The OPP uses research tools and techniques in full compliance with the laws of Canada, including the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The release of information about specific research techniques and technology can actively endanger research and threaten the safety of public and officers,” the statement continued.

“The OPP respects Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms and we continue to commit ourselves to maintaining the trust and trust of the public.”

Paragon Solutions was founded in Israel in 2019 by the former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Ehud Schneorson, the former commander of Israel’s Cyberwarfare and Military Intelligence Group Unit 8200 in Israel.

The Spyware -ProductGrafiet is marketed as unique for other Spyware tools such as Pegasus from NSO Group, because it gives specific customers access to the instant messaging applications of a targeted device, instead of the entire smartphone.

Citizen Lab says that it has shared details by mapping the Infrastructure of Paragon, which determined the potential Opp-Link, could be used with Meta last year after determining WhatsApp as an “infection sector” by graphite users despite its end-to-end coding software.

At the end of January of this year, WhatsApp informed around 90 users in more than two dozen countries, including journalists and other members of civil society, which they were probably the target of Paragon software.

The company then concluded a “nulkik” vulnerability, which gives paragon access to devices without having to click on an infected link, such as common malware attacks. Instead, attackers would upload a PDF or other document to a WhatsApp group that would then be dissected by the device, giving the attacker access.

“We have seen first -hand how commercial spyware can be armed to focus on journalists and civil society, and these companies must be held responsible,” a WhatsApp spokesperson told Global News.

“Our security team is constantly staying in front of threats, and we will continue to work to protect the ability of people to communicate privately.”

The Citizen Lab report also describes the use of Paragon’s Spyware against journalists and human rights activists in Italy. The Italian government recognized Last month it was a paragon customer after earlier refusing knowledge of the problem, and The director of the external intelligence service confirmed The agency had used Graphite several times.

In previous years, NSO group – which is also located in Israel – was left behind A Spyware -Hack from WhatsApp accounts in 2019, And A subsequent study found in 2021 The company’s Pegasus program was used to direct journalists and activists around the world.

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Paragon – that is reportedly taken over By investing in Florida AE Industrial Partners in Florida last year-has tried to publicly position themselves as one of the more responsible players in the industry.

The RCMP publicly recognized that in 2022 It already used Spyware tools in 2022 To gain access to the encrypted communication of research goals.

A RCMP spokesperson confirmed that the police are still using Spyware, who calls it as “research tools on the device” (ODITs), but as the OPP emphasized that they are only used for “serious criminal and national security surveys” after obtaining judicial authorization.

“The cautious and measured approach of the RCMP is proven by the fact that from 2017-2024 only ODITs were used to support 35 studies, in which a combined total of 57 devices were the target,” said Marie-Eeve Breton in a statement.

“For the sake of clarity, Odits are used extremely rarely and in limited cases by the RCMP. The use of it is always focused. It is always time limited and it is never unjustified and/or mass supervision. These tools are not used in secret.”

The RCMP has not said whether Spyware is being used to focus on members of the civil society or whether it is a paragon customer, says that it will not comment on specific investigations or tools.

Canadian MPs have conducted studies About the use of Spyware tools through the law enforcement That concluded instructions were needed. Canada, together with nine other Allied countries, also supported the push of former US President Joe Biden in 2023 To prevent abuse of commercial spyware and to impose international checks.

But no Canadian legislation has been introduced to tackle or regulate spyware use.

A spokesperson for the office of Minister of Public Safety David McGuinty did not say whether the government was working on such legislation and refers to questions about the findings of the Citizen Lab about the use of spyware of the Canadian police to the OPP. The office of Ontario’s Platicitor General did not comment.

Robertson said it was crucial for the government to ensure that it is not involved in the focus of members of civil society through programs that can risk national security.

“When governments become buyers of these proliferating hack-for-hire industry, it must really be understood that they invest in the uncertainty and vulnerability of all people in Canada and all over the world,” she said.

“That is why it is not only a matter of which checks are needed about use, but also very important questions about what is proportionate and acceptable in the first place in a free and democratic society.”

– With Files from Reuters