The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) alerted the public on Tuesday of a second case of spyware attack on a journalist and urged Italian authorities to investigate.

CPJ’s Europe representative, Attila Mong, criticized the targeting of journalists and categorized it as “a pattern of surveillance aimed at intimidating and silencing investigative reporting.” Mong recognized these cases as a “chilling signal to journalists in Italy” and urged Italian authorities to conduct a transparent investigation, clarify the allegations of government involvement, and ensure that journalists can conduct their work.

Ciro Pellegrino, an investigative journalist for Fanpage.it, a media outlet that focuses on investigating corruption, organized crime, and Italy’s far-right, revealed that he received a notification from Apple warning him that his smartphone was targeted due to his journalistic work. The threat was later confirmed by cybersecurity experts. Earlier this year, Francesco Cancellato, editor-in-chief of Fanpage.it, also presented evidence that his phone was targeted with spyware.

CPJ shared that the Rome prosecutor’s office launched an investigation into unauthorized surveillance of journalists and activists, and, according to leaks, spyware surveillance was approved by the government for some migrant rights activists, but Cancellato was not targeted.

The right to privacy is protected under international law. Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights mandates a universal right to the protection of the law against privacy attacks. Using identical phrasing, Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights echoes the mandatory right to privacy.

Nevertheless, surveillance of journalists in Europe has recently been a serious point of concern for human rights groups. In March, Amnesty International informed of Serbian authorities using Pegasus spyware against two investigative journalists, who were similarly focusing on state corruption. According to experts at Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, Moroccan authorities also utilized Pegasus spyware, as early as 2019, to monitor journalists and their contacts.

Some states are starting to tackle surveillance concerns. On May 6, 2025, a US jury ordered NSO Group, the creator of the Pegasus spyware, to pay nearly $168 million in damages over spyware use.