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Friday, 29 March 2024

Saudi Arabia 'involved in hacking Bezos' phone' - U.N.

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Saudi Arabia 'involved in hacking Bezos' phone' - U.N.
Saudi Arabia 'involved in hacking Bezos' phone' - U.N.

Two U.N.

Officials will report on Wednesday that there is enough evidence suggesting that Saudi Arabia had hacked Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos’ phone and both the kingdom and the United States should investigate, a person familiar with the matter said.

Francesca Lynagh reports.

*EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: RESENDING TO CLARIFY THAT THE DENIAL CAME FROM THE EMBASSY, NOT FROM THE CROWN PRINCE* Saudi Arabia has dismissed reports that it tried to hack the phone of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

On Wednesday (January 22) the embassy denied the allegations, calling them "absurd." Two U.N.

Officials are expected to report on Wednesday that there is enough evidence suggesting that Saudi Arabia hacked Bezos' phone.

A source said the statement will cite a forensic report commissioned by Bezos' security team.

It reportedly concludes that his phone probably had been hacked with a tainted video sent from a WhatsApp account belonging to Saudi's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Experts consulted by the U.N.

Agreed that while the case was not airtight, the evidence was strong enough to warrant a fuller investigation.

The report is set to worsen relations between the world's richest man and the kingdom, after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist - and Washington Post columnist.

Bezos owns the Post and he has alluded to the Saudi government's displeasure of the newspaper's coverage of Khashoggi's murder.

Bezos' security chief previously said that Saudi had access to his phone and gained private information from it, such as text messages with a former television anchor, who the the National Enquirer tabloid said Bezos was dating.

Saudi Arabia has said it had nothing to do with the reporting.

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