Trump administration authorizes ICE to continue utilizing Israeli surveillance technology, while Biden administration halts such purchases
In a recent turn of events, the White House has decided to reverse a previous decision made during the Biden administration to suspend the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency's purchase of software from Paragon Solutions. This decision was announced after a contract modification, reported by Jack Poulson, was signed in September of 2024.
Established in Israel in 2019, Paragon Solutions positions itself as an ethical alternative to spyware like NSO Group's Pegasus. However, concerns have been raised about the capabilities of its software, which is reportedly able to snoop silently and decrypt messages from popular apps like WhatsApp.
Earlier this year, the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab reported that Paragon's flagship spyware, Graphite, had been used against journalists, activists, and other political targets in Italy. In response to this report, Apple closed at least one ingress route for Paragon spyware.
The contract between ICE and Paragon Solutions was initially placed under review by the Biden administration due to noncompliance with the former President's 2023 executive order. The order barred the US government from purchasing or using commercial spyware, but included exceptions for US-based companies. With Paragon Solutions now an American company, this conflict has been resolved.
Despite the controversy surrounding Paragon Solutions, the specifics about the US parent company that acquired the Israeli firm in December 2023 remain unclear, as it is not explicitly mentioned in the available search results.
This decision to lift the stop work order on ICE's contract with Paragon Solutions has sparked debates about the ethical implications of using such software by government agencies. The public will continue to monitor this situation closely.
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