Forwarded from @adurovleaks
French and UAE intelligence agencies hacked Telegram founder Pavel Durov's iPhone in 2017, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter.
The joint spy operation code-named “Purple Music” reportedly stemmed from concerns about the Islamic State’s use of Telegram, a private messaging app, for recruitment and plotting attacks — and came years before Durov’s surprise arrest in Paris over the weekend.
France had been pursuing a “long-term effort” to “compromise Telegram,” WSJ cited an unnamed former French intelligence official as saying, though they did not comment on the hacking of Durov’s phone.
It was not clear from WSJ’s reporting whether French President Emmanuel Macron was aware of the hack and whether the spies still had backdoor access to Durov’s phone.
The newspaper also said there was no indication that the hacking of Durov’s phone played a role in his detention on Saturday.
Politico reported Tuesday that Macron was an early adopter of Telegram while French authorities were frustrated by the app because of its reluctance to cooperate.
The joint spy operation code-named “Purple Music” reportedly stemmed from concerns about the Islamic State’s use of Telegram, a private messaging app, for recruitment and plotting attacks — and came years before Durov’s surprise arrest in Paris over the weekend.
France had been pursuing a “long-term effort” to “compromise Telegram,” WSJ cited an unnamed former French intelligence official as saying, though they did not comment on the hacking of Durov’s phone.
It was not clear from WSJ’s reporting whether French President Emmanuel Macron was aware of the hack and whether the spies still had backdoor access to Durov’s phone.
The newspaper also said there was no indication that the hacking of Durov’s phone played a role in his detention on Saturday.
Politico reported Tuesday that Macron was an early adopter of Telegram while French authorities were frustrated by the app because of its reluctance to cooperate.