The research will examine both the government’s use of spyware against journalists and activists and its routine deployment by law enforcement in everyday investigations in Italy.

These tools are powerful and deeply intrusive — yet no clear legal framework defines how they can be used, and the companies that provide them operate with complete opacity.

While the project’s primary focus will be Italy, it also intends to investigate whether spyware used in Italy (such as Paragon) has been deployed elsewhere, and whether Italian-made spyware — or 0-days — has spread across Europe or beyond.

About me: I’m an investigative journalist and digital rights activist who has been covering digital surveillance for several years, now starting a year-long investigation (2026) into Italy’s invasive surveillance practices and their impact on civil liberties.

I am at CCC to connect with activists, hackers, and fellow journalists engaged in the fight against surveillance, and to share findings.

If any of you have encountered research, evidence, or experiences related to this topic — or have worked with / been contacted by companies producing trojans or 0-days — I would love to connect:

Matrix: @rositarijtano:matrix.org Signal: rositarijtano.87 Email: rositarijtano@gmail.com

The project will not only publish its findings on Wired, but also develop open-access resources (including an ebook and a webinar series) to help journalists protect themselves and their sources from digital threats.

Happy to speak anonymously! 😄