Israeli spyware may have been used by Ontario police, report alleges
Global News
The report from Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto said researchers traced the IP address of a Paragon Solutions client to the OPP's general headquarters.
Researchers behind a new report into an Israeli spyware program used to monitor civil society members say they have found “possible links” between the controversial technology and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), suggesting it may have been used in investigations — an allegation the force doesn’t deny.
The report from Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto released this week said researchers traced the IP address of a Canadian-based customer of Paragon Solutions to the address of the OPP’s general headquarters in Toronto.
Paragon sells the military-grade spyware program “Graphite” to government clients for national security purposes, but the tool has been found on the phones of journalists, activists and other civil society members in countries around the world in recent years, using communication apps like WhatsApp.
“We’ve also uncovered court records that point to a growing ecosystem of spyware capability among police services in Ontario,” Kate Robertson, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab and a co-author of the report, told Global News.
“What these findings show is that there is a widening gap in public awareness about the extent to which spyware technology is being used in Canada.”
Researchers tracing servers connected to Paragon’s Graphite tool found additional suspected deployments at four other Ontario addresses, including a shared warehouse, a strip mall, a brewery and an apartment.
An OPP spokesperson declined to confirm if it has contracted Paragon for investigative purposes but also didn’t deny the report’s findings in a statement to Global News.
“The Ontario Provincial Police is mandated to maintain public safety and to prevent or investigate crime while respecting the rights and privileges of citizens and visitors to Canada,” Acting Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Del Guidice said, adding the interception of private communications “is only used to advance serious criminal investigations” and requires judicial authorization.
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
Bird flu has been detected in a sheep in northern England, the first known case of its kind in the world, Britain's government said.
23andMe on Sunday filed for bankruptcy in the United States after struggling with the fallout of a data breach and weak demand for its ancestry testing kits.
A new study suggests AI can predict premature death among people who have inflammatory bowel disease, also known as Crohn's and colitis.
Spring is about transformation, a season often marked by its dynamic sights, smells, sounds and tastes. As humans change the climate, our experience of the season is changing, too.
The report from Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto said researchers traced the IP address of a Paragon Solutions client to the OPP's general headquarters.
As bird flu continues to sweep through poultry farms, United States Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is proposing a different approach: let the virus spread.
A New Brunswick woman says she has no choice but to turn to the private sector to get refills for her medication -- and it's a costly process.
Avalanche Canada issued the warning late Thursday, which covers Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, and Jasper National Parks, and Kananaskis Country.
Google will buy cybersecurity firm Wiz for US$32 billion to boost the tech giant’s in-house cloud computing amid burgeoning artificial intelligence growth.
The Liberals introduced draft regulations back in November that require producers to cut emissions by about one-third over the next eight years.
An advocate for patients of New Brunswick's alleged mystery neurological disease says the province's health minister has not been honest with her.
As the avian flu continues to spread, some people may be wondering if it is still safe to use their bird feeder. Here's what the experts say.
Students at Dinsmore Composite School, an hour and a half southwest of Saskatoon, have built their own hydroponic garden tower to grow produce year-round.