From PC Mag: 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.
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