Overview
- The Federal Prosecutor confirmed Friday it is investigating suspected espionage tied to the Signal phishing wave and said it took the case over in February.
- Parliamentary fallout widened this week as the SPD and then the Left party acknowledged a few affected lawmakers, after reports that Bundestag President Julia Klöckner’s account was compromised and the chancellor’s phone check found no anomalies.
- German security agencies renewed guidance and circulated a 20‑page advisory that warns attackers pose as “Signal Support,” harvest verification codes or PINs, or trick targets into scanning QR codes that add an attacker’s device to read chats, contacts, and recent files.
- Signal says its encryption and servers are intact, while Dutch services and the FBI attribute the campaign to Russian-linked actors and German authorities publicly describe a likely state-directed operation without naming a country.
- Officials cite at least about 300 known cases in Germany and warn of a large dark figure, and Bundestag leaders are weighing limits on Signal’s desktop app on parliament computers as parties review how they handle informal communications.