ROME (Reuters) — Italian lawmakers have officially requested an explanation from the government over allegations it spied on journalists using surveillance technology possibly provided by U.S.-based spyware firm Paragon, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.

This development adds a new chapter to a growing political controversy that has placed Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s conservative administration under intense scrutiny. Opposition leaders have accused the government of targeting its critics through unauthorized surveillance—a claim the government has consistently denied.

The parliamentary security oversight committee, COPASIR, has reportedly submitted a formal inquiry to Cabinet Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, a senior aide to Meloni who oversees Italy’s intelligence services. The committee asked whether journalists had been placed under surveillance using spyware technology, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Neither Mantovano nor Paragon responded to requests for comment as of Friday.

Earlier this year, Meta disclosed that roughly 90 WhatsApp users had been targeted by Paragon spyware, with several of the victims identified as Italian citizens. In June, Reuters revealed that Italian prosecutors were investigating whether several individuals—including Ciro Pellegrino and Francesco Cancellato of Fanpage, Dagospia founder Roberto D’Agostino, and Dutch commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek—had been unlawfully monitored.

A June report by COPASIR confirmed that Italy’s intelligence agencies had contracted Paragon’s services and used its spyware with judicial authorization. The surveillance reportedly targeted a limited number of individuals, including members of a migrant rescue NGO known for criticizing Meloni’s immigration policies.

However, the report found no evidence to support claims that Cancellato’s phone was infected with the spyware, as he had publicly alleged. The document made no mention of the other journalists reportedly involved.

Following intense media scrutiny and political backlash, both the Italian government and Paragon announced last month that they had terminated their contractual relationship.

In a statement to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, Paragon claimed it had offered Italian authorities a technical mechanism to verify whether Cancellato had been targeted. According to the company, the contract was canceled after the offer was declined. COPASIR, however, disputed this account, stating the Italian government had independently chosen to end the deal with Paragon.

As pressure mounts, the Italian government faces growing calls to provide transparency on its surveillance practices and to clarify whether journalistic freedom has been compromised.