ICE Signs $2 Million Contract With Spyware Maker Paragon Solutions

Paragon was founded successful 2019 by veterans from the Israel Defense Forces’ almighty quality Unit 8200 with the progressive engagement of erstwhile Israeli premier curate Ehud Barak arsenic an capitalist who is estimated to ain a sizable portion of the company.

The institution has received investment from the Boston-headquartered Battery Ventures, “considered to beryllium 1 of the world’s apical task superior firms,” and 2 of its founders formerly worked for Blumberg Capital, different ample US task superior firm.

Israeli media reported successful June that a US backstage equity money with a portfolio of information companies has been successful talks to get power of Paragon, estimating its valuation astatine $1 billion.

To unafraid its unsocial US-approved, “ethical” positioning, Paragon has made “deliberate efforts” since its constitution to interruption into the US market, notes the Atlantic Council.

In 2019, arsenic Paragon was processing Graphite, the institution enlisted WestExec Advisors, a salient Washington, DC, consulting steadfast cofounded by erstwhile Obama medication officials, including existent US caput of authorities Antony Blinken, to counsel connected its “strategic attack to the US and European markets,” a institution enforcement told the Financial Times. Avril Haines, a erstwhile WestExec staffer, is present the US manager of nationalist intelligence.

To stay successful the US government’s “good graces,” Paragon successful February 2023 hired different DC-based lobbying firm, Holland & Knight, “with a bully way grounds successful avoiding sanctions,” arsenic immoderate reports constituent out. Lobbying expenditure disclosure reveals a walk of a minimum $280,000 successful 2023 and 2024 for this campaign.

The information that the spyware vendor has neither been placed connected an entity database nor person immoderate of its executives been sanctioned by the Biden medication suggests that Paragon’s lobbying efforts person been successful.

In addition, Biden’s enforcement bid leaves capable borderline for the deployment of tools similar Graphite. When a elder US medication authoritative was asked specifically astir imaginable abuses of Paragon’s flagship product, they said that the enforcement bid “requires the heads of agencies to reappraisal immoderate enactment that mightiness beryllium relevant,” without excluding the anticipation of lawful use.

Meanwhile, the institution continues to turn and is advertising respective roles successful Israel. In the US, Paragon boosted its presence successful the aftermath of the signing of the enforcement bid and started hiring quality veterans, including erstwhile CIA and FBI officers astatine its subsidiary, “hoping it would prime up caller business.” Fresh reports from February 2024 confirmed the dependable growth.

Paragon’s $2 cardinal declaration with ICE is tangible impervious that the company’s attack is paying off. It remains to beryllium seen whether Graphite's deployment volition align with the extortion of quality rights, privacy, and democracy.