French and UAE Spies Hacked Telegram Founder Pavel Durov's iPhone in 2017

Aug 28, 2024, 10:29 AM

French and UAE intelligence services conducted a joint operation in 2017 to hack the iPhone of Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The operation, codenamed 'Purple Music', took place a year before Durov's meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in 2018. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that the operation was initiated due to serious concerns by French authorities. Despite the hack, Durov claimed in April that the UAE, where he resides, has left him alone.