French and UAE Spies Hacked Telegram Founder Pavel Durov's iPhone in 2017, Codenamed 'Purple Music'

Aug 28, 2024, 10:29 AM

In 2017, French and UAE intelligence services conducted a joint operation to hack the iPhone of Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, according to reports by The Wall Street Journal. The operation, codenamed "Purple Music," was undertaken amid concerns by French authorities. This hacking incident occurred a year before Durov's meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in 2018. Despite the hacking, Durov, who resides in the UAE, claimed in April that the UAE has completely left him alone.