Encrypted Chat Service Seized, 2.3M+ Messages Deciphered
Authorities read encrypted messages on Matrix in real-time, detailing money laundering, arms trafficking, and drug trafficking schemes.The invite-only encrypted messaging service known as Matrix was intercepted and taken down on Tuesday, according to reports from international authorities.
The investigation, dubbed Operation Passionflower, was run by European authorities who monitored messages on Matrix for three months, gathered intel, and ultimately took down the platform. Over 2.3 million messages in 33 different languages from 8,000 accounts were intercepted and read.
They can now use the messages to pursue further investigations, according to a post from Europol. Over a dozen homes were searched across Lithuania, Spain, and France, and three people have been arrested. Four cars, 970 phones, and a house were also seized, along with over $500 million in crypto and over $150,000 in cash.
Matrix—also known as Mactrix, Totalsec, X-quantum, or Q-safe—was mainly installed on Google Pixel devices, according to Dutch authorities. Users reportedly paid thousands of dollars to get six months of access to the service, which also let them use the internet anonymously and make encrypted video calls.
While authorities haven't shared exactly how they breached the encrypted service, Europol claims they used "innovative technology" to surveil Matrix users before the platform was taken offline. "We gained access to data related to this service and our investigation does not end here," the operation's site reads.
Matrix had been live since at least as early as 2021, though an image from authorities contains a message that claims the service has been around for at least eight years. Matrix had over 40 servers globally, in countries including France and Germany.
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