U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reinstated a $2 million contract with Israeli spyware company Paragon, nearly a year after the Biden administration put it under review.
The deal was initially paused under a “stop work order” to assess compliance with an executive order restricting federal agencies from using spyware that could enable human rights abuses or target Americans abroad. But on August 30, public records show ICE lifted the order, activating the contract for licenses, hardware, maintenance, and training.
Paragon markets itself as an “ethical” spyware provider, but its tools have been tied to hacks of journalists and activists. WhatsApp previously said about 90 of its users were targeted with Paragon’s Graphite spyware, prompting the company to sever ties with the Italian government after public backlash.
Citizen Lab researcher John Scott-Railton said spyware like Graphite “was designed for dictatorships, not democracies,” warning that such tools are increasingly misused even in countries with strong civil liberties.
Related: Critical Portions of U.S. Constitution Missing from Official Government Website
Paragon has not commented on its decision to work with ICE, an agency criticized for aggressive deportation tactics and expanded surveillance powers.
