by Derrick Broze, Activist Post:
A small but growing number of private companies selling digital tools to hack smartphones and messaging apps, like WhatsApp and Signal, are likely to benefit financially from the incoming Trump administration.
In late September, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement signed a $2 million one-year contract with controversial Israeli spyware vendor Paragon Solutions. The contract involved Paragon’s US subsidiary based in Chantilly, Virginia and ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Division 3.
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Paragon claims its tools can help law enforcement and governments remotely crack encrypted messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and Facebook Messenger.
The agreement calls for Paragon to provide ICE with a “fully configured proprietary solution including license, hardware, warranty, maintenance and training.” The agreement was first reported on by Wired.
Within weeks of the ICE-Paragon contract becoming public Wired reported the contract was under review by the White House to see if it violates a 2023 Executive Order issued by the Biden administration. Executive Order 14093 was signed by President Joe Biden in March 2023 as part of an ongoing US government effort specifically aimed at restricting the use of commercial spyware by U.S. agencies.
The EO says the US government will continue to promote the “responsible use” of spyware that aligns with promoting “democratic values”. Despite the U.S. government efforts to prosecute journalists like Julian Assange, the EO claims the U.S. has an interest in “promoting respect for human rights; and defending activists, dissidents, and journalists against threats to their freedom and dignity.”
