Security News > 2023 > February > Police hacked Exclu 'secure' message platform to snoop on criminals
The Dutch police announced on Friday that they dismantled the Exclu encrypted communications platform after hacking into the service to monitor the activities of criminal organizations.
In the Netherlands alone, the police searched 22 locations and arrested 11 individuals believed to be connected with the Exclu platform.
The Dutch police say it has used its expertise in technology and cybercrime to hack into the Exclu service, identify its users, and eventually dismantle its infrastructure.
The police mention that the app had approximately 3,000 users, 750 based in the Netherlands.
A notable case of a similar crypto-phone platform takedown was that of EncroChat in July 2022, when several European police forces collaborated to dismantle the service and use seized data to identify criminals.
The FBI and the Australian Federal Police also created a fake end-to-end encrypted chat platform named ANOM, allowing law enforcement to monitor the activities of criminal groups.