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WhatsApp, a popular messaging service owned by Meta Platforms, has revealed that Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions attempted to hack hundreds of its users, including journalists, civil society members, and individuals from over two dozen countries.

In a statement, WhatsApp announced that it has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Paragon, and has since disrupted the hacking effort by notifying the targeted users and referring them to a Canadian online watchdog group, Citizen Lab. The company has also informed law enforcement and industry partners, although the details of its investigation remain under wraps.

The incident highlights the growing concern over the proliferation of commercial spyware, which is being used by governments and other entities to monitor and surveil individuals. Despite Paragon’s attempts to portray itself as a responsible player in the industry, its involvement in the WhatsApp hack raises questions about the company’s ethics and the true extent of its involvement in surveillance activities.

Citizen Lab researcher John Scott-Railton noted that “mercenary spyware continues to proliferate,” and that the discovery of Paragon’s involvement is just one example of the “familiar patterns of problematic use” that have been observed in the industry. The incident also highlights the need for greater regulation and oversight of the commercial spyware industry, which has been criticized for its lack of transparency and accountability.

Paragon’s reputation as a more responsible player in the industry appears to be tarnished by the revelation, with Natalia Krapiva, a senior tech-legal counsel at the advocacy group Access Now, stating that the company’s recent actions suggest it is “not just a question of some bad apples.” Instead, it is a feature of the commercial spyware industry as a whole.