Popular Messaging App ToTok Reportedly an Emirati Spy Tool

A popular messaging app billed as a secure way to chat with friends and family is actually a spying tool used by the United Arab Emirates to track the activities of those who download it, The New York Times reported Sunday. From a report: The app, which debuted only a few months ago, has been downloaded millions of times around the world. The app is a mass surveillance tool, The Times reported, capable of monitoring every conversation, movement, relationship, appointment, sound and image of its users. The majority of the app's users are in the Emirates but recently surged in popularity in the US. An analysis and interviews with computer security experts suggest the company behind ToTok, Breej Holding, is a front for DarkMatter, an Abu Dhabi-based cyberintelligence and hacking firm that employs Emirati intelligence officials, former National Security Agency employees and former Israeli military intelligence operatives, The Times reported. The app was recently removed from the Apple and Google app stores, but it's still functional until users delete it from their device.