Can an ‘ethical’ spyware maker justify providing its tech to ICE?

Paragon, an Israeli espionage company that claims to be working as “moral” surveillance, faced Italy earlier this year using Paragon tools to spy on the phones of two journalists. By cutting Italy, Paragon responded to its surveillance products, becoming the first spyware company to publicly naming one of its customers after the misuse of its products.

Now, Paragon may face a new ethical dilemma: whether or not the ice agent will allow its spyware to use its spyware.

The company told Techcrunch not yet that Paraguce signed in September 2024 with the enforcement of immigration and customs (ICE) for a period of $ 2 million in review and has not yet been applied, and Paraguce has not yet provided ice internal security investigations with its spyware tools.

Since he took office in January, the Trump administration authorized the implementation of large-scale migration raids throughout the United States, which led to the detention of thousands of immigrants-and many American citizens-partly thanks to the data stored in federal databases and the use of the technology provided by the Govtech Giant Palantir. Given that Ice is ready to obtain a much larger budget after the premature law of the Pioneering law in Trump, spyware can be a strong monitoring tool for immigration enforcement operations in the Trump administration.

With two months before the contract ends, Paragon may not provide spyware to ice. But until the contract is running out on September 29, the US government can approve it at any moment, forcing Paraguce to decide on using its tools on American soil.

Currently, the company does not want to talk about this dilemma at all. When he was asked Techcrunch, Paragon will not say what he is planning to do if the contract succeeds in reviewing, or clarifying what will happen with his relationship with ICE if the contract is progressing.

Paragon contract with ICE has stopped since the signing of the papers. Internal security issued a semi -average work order with the aim of reviewing whether the contract was compliance with an executive order during the Biden era. It is noteworthy that US government agencies from using commercial spyware can (or have been attacked by foreign governments on violation of human rights, or to target Americans abroad.

At that time, an official in the Biden administration told and responds that the US government “immediately participated” the high leadership leadership, which includes ICE, to determine whether the contract fulfills the requirements of the executive order.

Nine months later, Paragon’s contract with ICE is still forgetting, and White House officials had no update from his condition.

Trump administration spokesman Abyel Jackson referred Techcrunch questions to internal security, and he will not comment, when asked, about the Trump administration’s position on the executive order of spyware in the Biden era, which is still in effect.

A spokesman for the Homeland Security and ICE did not comment when contacting it by Techcrunch.

Historically, spyware companies were conservative to naming their customers in any context, for fear of reputable damage or risk of profitable government contracts. After WhatsApp revealed earlier this year that about 90 of its users, including journalists and human rights observers, were targeted by Paragon spyware, the company sought to stay away from breakthroughs. John Fleming, CEO of Paragon, Techcrunch, told him that he only sells to “a selection of global democracies – mainly, the United States and its allies.”

In other words, Parajon wanted the world to know that he would sell responsible government customers, and it appears that its response to the Italian scandal enhances the company’s position.

But in describing himself as an ethical spyware seller, Paraguce put himself on himself to judge those who deal with him. When doing this, the company also opened the door to others to examine its government agents and their morals – whether it is the Italian government or ice. As governments change and their leaders over time, Paraguce may face the choice of having to reassess those who work with him.

“Looking at this administration’s record of attacks on human rights and civil society organizations, we hope that Paraguce will reconsider the agreement,” said Michael de Dura, American Call now, a non -profit institution that has exposed spyware violations.