The U.S. government has confirmed it’s using a zero-click spyware — it hacks into cell phones without any user interaction. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has officially confirmed its active deployment of 'Graphite,' a highly sophisticated spyware tool capable of hacking mobile devices without any user interaction. Developed by the Israeli cyber-surveillance firm Paragon Solutions, this 'zero-click' technology allows operators to bypass the end-to-end encryption of secure applications like WhatsApp and Signal. Once silently installed on a device, the spyware extracts encrypted messages, location data, and other private records directly from the phone itself. Despite a previous pause under federal review, ICE's $2 million contract for the software was quietly reactivated, sparking immense concern among privacy advocates and lawmakers alike. The disclosure has intensified the national debate over the balance between national security and constitutional rights. While ICE authorities assert that the software is strictly deployed to intercept encrypted communications of fentanyl traffickers and foreign terrorist organizations, civil liberties groups warn of potential overreach. Activists and legal experts caution that without strict federal oversight, zero-click exploits could easily be leveraged to target domestic political dissidents, journalists, and immigrant communities. This ongoing tension highlights a growing, unregulated ecosystem of mercenary surveillance tools operating within the borders of democratic nations. source: Knight First Amendment Institute. (2026). Knight Institute Urges Congress to Limit ICE's Use of Spyware Technologies as Agency Confirms Expanded Deployment.