PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macon has changed his phone and number after reports that he was targeted with Israeli-made spyware called Pegasus.
The president’s office said Macron had also ordered an overhaul of security protocols.
This week, Le Monde reported that he and 14 French ministers were flagged for potential surveillance by Morocco.
Moroccan authorities have denied using Pegasus, and said the allegations were “unfounded and false.”
The spyware infects iPhones and Android devices, allowing users to extract messages, photos and e-mails. Calls can be recorded, while microphones and cameras can be activated covertly.
It is not clear if the software was ever installed on the French president’s phone. But his number was among the list of 50,000 contacts believed to be targeted by clients of NSO Group, the creator of Pegasus, since 2016.(BBC)
