French President Macron holds emergency talks with his National Security Council over reports that senior officials, including himself, could be spied on via “spyware” that would penetrate mobile phones. It concerns an Israeli-developed ‘tool’ for hackers called Pegasus.
According to the French authorities, there is evidence that an attempt was made with the help of Pegasus to break into a telephone belonging to an ex-minister and close associate of Macron, François de Rugy.
On Tuesday, he asked Morocco for an explanation because the attempt to hack his phone was allegedly made from that country. A government spokesman said on Thursday that Macron is “monitoring closely and taking it very seriously”.
However, an anonymous employee told French media on Wednesday that the 43-year-old president has a slew of cellphones that are well checked, secured and often replaced.