The Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter, reported that French and UAE intelligence agencies hacked Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s iPhone in 2017.
The joint espionage operation, codenamed “Purple Music,” was reportedly born out of concerns that Islamic State was using the private messaging app Telegram for recruitment and attack planning, and was carried out several years before Durov’s surprise arrest in Paris over the weekend.
The Journal cited an unnamed former French intelligence official as saying France had been pursuing a “long-running effort” to “compromise Telegram”, but did not comment on the hacking of Durov’s phone.
The Journal report did not make clear whether French President Emmanuel Macron was aware of the hack or whether the spies still had backdoor access to Durov’s phone.
The paper also reported that there was no indication that the hacking of Durov’s phone influenced his detention on Saturday.
Politico reported on Tuesday that while Macron was an early adopter of Telegram, French authorities had grown frustrated by the app’s reluctance to cooperate.
Durov, 39, was detained at Le Bourget airport outside Paris late on Saturday on suspicion of 12 offences related to failing to curb criminal content on Telegram.
It is expected to be known Wednesday whether he will be charged and taken into custody.
News.AZ