Security News > 2021 > March > Encrypted phones biz Sky Global shuts up shop after CEO indictment, police raids on users in Europe

Encrypted phone network Sky Global has seemingly shut down after European police swooped on users and distributors, and its chief exec was indicted by American prosecutors.

News of the company shutdown was broken by Vice News after raids in Belgium and the Netherlands on Sky ECC users and resellers.

Earlier this month, Uncle Sam's legal eagles formally accused Sky Global chief exec Jean-Francois Eap, who lives in Canada, of selling encrypted chat devices to drug dealers with the intent of helping them evade the long arm of the law.

As we reported, Sky Global provides Nokia, Google, Apple, and BlackBerry smartphones modified to remove their cameras, microphones, and GPS capabilities, and sells subscriptions for its end-to-end encrypted messaging software Sky ECC that comes bundled with the handsets.

Britain's National Crime Agency, which falls squarely into the category of "Police agencies that campaign against encryption," has previously refused to comment on whether it was involved with the raids on Sky ECC users in continental Europe, or whether it is investigating any UK links from those raids.

The Sky Global/ECC case bears similarities to that of encrypted chat service EncroChat, which was also shut down by its operators after police officers gained access to the service.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2021/03/19/sky_global_ecc_shuts_down_indictment_raids/