Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) learned to monitor the activity of users of Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal messengers. The newspaper writes about it New York Times.
One of the programs, described in documents seen by NYT reporters, can detect when people make voice calls or send files in encrypted apps like Telegram, Signal, and WhatsApp.
“The software cannot capture certain messages, but can detect if someone is using multiple phones,” the article says.
Another function of the program is to create a map based on communication between users, to track communication with other people, and also to identify all phones located in certain places on a given day.
According to the newspaper’s description, it is an easy-to-use software that connects directly to the telecommunications infrastructure. The NYT claims to have received hundreds of files about the software from someone with access to internal records.
The article also states that another software can collect passwords entered on unencrypted websites, and a third software can detect anonymous social media users and hack people’s accounts.
Former Telegram creator Pavel Durov denied the existence of a dangerous vulnerability in the reporter and criticized the Russian media.