The Secrets of a US Spyware King
Paragon's CEO says the firm cannot detect or remotely shut off misuse of its mobile spyware.
Citizen Lab confirmed in 2025 that Paragon Solutions' mobile spyware was used against Italian activists and journalists, despite the company's pledge not to sell to governments with poor human-rights records. In a WIRED interview, CEO Andrew Boyd said Paragon cannot tell when customers misuse the software and has no kill switch to cut them off. Citizen Lab senior researcher John Scott-Railton said Paragon offers less oversight, transparency, and contractual protection than NSO Group, and that the spyware industry cannot be trusted to self-regulate.
- Citizen Lab confirmed Paragon spyware targeted Italian activists and journalists.
- CEO Andrew Boyd said the company cannot detect customer misuse.
- Paragon has no kill switch to disable abusive customers.
- A Citizen Lab researcher said safeguards are weaker than NSO Group's.
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Date Published
October 8, 2026
Paragon Solutions vowed not to sell its mobile spyware to governments with poor human rights records and to cut off customers who misuse its products. However, in 2025 researchers at the Citizen Lab confirmed that the spyware had been used to target Italian activists and journalists. In an exclusive interview with WIRED, Paragon’s CEO Andrew Boyd revealed the limits of the company’s promise: that it has no way to know if customers misuse its software, and it doesn’t have a “kill switch” to disable customers when there is misuse.
Speaking with WIRED, Citizen Lab’s senior researcher John Scott-Railton noted that Paragon has “less oversight, less transparency, less contractual protection against abuses than NSO Group,” another spyware company that has faced criticism for its use against journalists, activists, and others.
“It’s exactly the opposite of the picture that Paragon has painted for itself for years,” says Scott-Railton, “And it signals to lawmakers and regulators that the spyware industry cannot be trusted to self-regulate.”
Text extracted automatically; images, tables and formatting may be missing. Original: https://citizenlab.ca/the-secrets-of-a-us-spyware-king/