Why a Lot of People Are Getting Hacked With Government Spyware

In this post, author Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai (TechCrunch) looks at the continued proliferation and misuse of government-grade spyware, despite claims by its makers that such tools are used only against serious criminals and terrorists. Documented cases from around the world show otherwise: journalists, human rights defenders, activists, and politicians have repeatedly been targeted, including in democratic countries. The most recent example is an Italian political consultant working with left-wing parties who was confirmed to have been infected with Paragon spyware, underscoring how far beyond “limited” or “rare” use these tools have spread.

Experts interviewed in the piece note that a core misunderstanding persists about who becomes a target. As Eva Galperin of the Electronic Frontier Foundation explains, being targeted does not mean someone is a high-priority threat—it often reflects how easy and inexpensive surveillance has become. Because modern spyware can be deployed quickly and at scale, governments have used it not only against major criminals but also against minor political opponents, local activists, and ordinary journalists.

The article also explores structural reasons behind this widespread misuse. Spyware vendors typically charge governments upfront fees based on the number of simultaneous targets their systems can monitor, with high-capacity packages available to clients—including those with poor human rights records. Leaked documents show some agencies could surveil dozens, hundreds, or even unlimited numbers of devices at once. In countries already inclined toward overreach, granting such broad technical capabilities virtually guaranteed that spyware would be used far beyond its stated purpose…

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