The scandal surrounding Telegram founder Pavel Durov continues to unfold. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal reveals new insights into a joint operation between French and UAE intelligence services targeting a Russian businessman. In 2017, according to the publication, intelligence services from these countries hacked Durov’s iPhone as part of an espionage operation codenamed “Purple Music.”
The French authorities’ interest in the messenger Telegram is no coincidence: French intelligence services have long considered the platform to be a potential threat, suggesting that it is used by terrorist groups, in particular the Islamic State, to recruit militants and plan attacks.
However, the story did not end there. A year after the operation, French President Emmanuel Macron had a dinner with Durov, during which he suggested that the businessman move Telegram’s headquarters to Paris. Despite the French leader’s interest, the Russian rejected the offer.
In an attempt to improve relations with Durov, the French and UAE authorities took an unexpected step in 2021: they granted him citizenship. This gesture seems to be an attempt to appease the founder of the messenger, given that obtaining citizenship in France and the UAE is a complex procedure accessible only to “a select few.” In addition, the Gulf countries invested more than $75 million in Telegram, which became a significant financial support for the platform.
Earlier, Kursor wrote that Turkey believes Israel was involved in Durov’s arrest.
