Israeli newspaper Haaretz later confirmed The Guardian’s report, adding that Paragon had terminated its deal with two Italian government agencies — a law enforcement agency and an intelligence agency — and disconnected their access to its spyware product called Graphite, according to the paper’s anonymous sources.

The victims were mainly journalists and other members of civil society, WhatsApp confirmed last week after accusing Paragon of the spyware campaign and issuing a cease and desist

Israeli spyware maker Paragon Solutions confirmed to TechCrunch that it sells its products to the U.S. government and other unspecified allied countries.

A major scandal involving Israeli spyware firm Paragon has rocked Italy and Europe, sparking outrage across the region. Reports have revealed that journalists and activists in Italy were spied on using Paragon’s surveillance software,