According to recent reports, Donald Trump’s administration continues to intensify its campaign against immigration — and U.S. agencies may soon gain access to even more aggressive surveillance tools. Two Israeli firms, Paragon Solutions and NSO Group, are reportedly set to regain previously frozen contracts with American government agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to supply spyware technologies.
Paragon Solutions, the maker of spyware known as Graphite, has reportedly secured a $2 million contract with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), despite its prior suspension from U.S. partnerships. Meanwhile, NSO Group — the company behind the infamous Pegasus spyware — is still attempting to rebuild credibility after falling out of favor with the Biden administration, following revelations that its tools were used to surveil journalists, politicians, and human rights activists worldwide.
Both Apple and WhatsApp have taken a clear stand against such practices, pledging to keep users informed about potential spyware attacks regardless of their location. As Apple stated in a comment to The Guardian:
“Threat notifications are designed to inform and assist users who may have been individually targeted by mercenary spyware, and geographic location is not a factor in who they are sent to.”
Experts warn that allowing commercial spyware into the U.S. market could have severe implications for citizen privacy and data security. Senator Ron Wyden expressed concern that ICE might deploy such tools without proper judicial oversight, undermining Americans’ fundamental civil liberties. Cybersecurity lawyers also point out that companies like Paragon and NSO are trying to rehabilitate their reputations by promoting “reformed” versions of their spyware, allegedly compliant with U.S. law. However, there’s currently no way to independently verify these claims — and the tools they offer could be indistinguishable from their earlier, controversial versions.
The growing conflict over state surveillance underscores rising tension between major tech firms and governments. Companies such as Apple and Meta (owner of WhatsApp) increasingly position themselves as defenders of user privacy, in stark contrast to security agencies demanding broader data access. Ultimately, it seems that ordinary citizens are the ones paying the price — as personal privacy continues to be pushed aside under the pretext of fighting crime.
