For years, companies that create government-grade spyware have defended their work by insisting that their products are used only against dangerous criminals and terrorists — and only under strict oversight. But mounting evidence from numerous global investigations tells a very different story.
From journalists and human rights activists to politicians and minor opposition figures, many people who pose no legitimate security threat have found themselves under surveillance. The most recent example comes from Italy, where a political consultant linked to left-wing parties was revealed to have been hacked using Paragon spyware.
Experts say these incidents show that spyware is no longer a rare or limited tool but a widespread weapon used well beyond its supposed scope.
Eva Galperin, cybersecurity director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, explains that “because targeting is so easy, governments have used surveillance malware on people who are far from national security threats — including journalists, small-scale activists, and even local politicians.”
One key reason behind this abuse lies in how spyware is sold and operated. When a government agency buys spyware from vendors like NSO Group or Paragon, it pays an upfront fee for access to the system, which typically allows a specific number of simultaneous surveillance targets. The more devices an agency can spy on at once, the higher the cost.
In nations with poor human rights records, these target limits are often set very high, effectively enabling mass surveillance. Leaked documents from the now-defunct Hacking Team revealed that some governments could track hundreds or even thousands of people simultaneously.
Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and the UAE have repeatedly been exposed for using spyware against journalists, dissidents, and political opponents. Researcher Runa Sandvik has compiled a growing global list of similar abuses, showing how common such incidents have become.
Adding to the problem, modern spyware like Pegasus and Graphite makes hacking as simple as entering a phone number. This convenience has created what researcher John Scott-Railton of the Citizen Lab calls a “powerful temptation for abuse,” arguing that such tools pose a serious threat to democracy.
While some vendors — like Paragon and NSO — claim to have cut ties with abusive government clients, accountability remains limited. A few governments, including Greece, Poland, and the United States, have begun investigating and even sanctioning spyware makers. Meanwhile, Western nations like France and the U.K. are pursuing diplomatic measures to restrict the trade.
Still, the global spyware market continues to thrive, worth billions of dollars annually, driven by governments eager to watch — and control — more than ever before.
