Chinese state hackers gained access to the mobile phones of senior officials in the British Prime Minister’s office in Downing Street over a period of several years, The Telegraph reports, citing intelligence sources.
According to the publication, the attacks began at least in 2021 and continued until 2024. Close aides to Prime Ministers Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak were targeted. Sources claim that the hacks affected ‘the very heart of Downing Street,’ although it is unclear whether the prime ministers’ own phones were directly compromised.
The operation is linked to a global cyber espionage campaign codenamed Salt Typhoon, which is attributed to Chinese state agencies. Hackers infiltrated telecommunications networks around the world, gaining access to the data of millions of users — including listening to calls, reading messages and tracking locations. As former US Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger noted, the attackers could ‘record phone conversations at will.’
The scale of the British part of the operation became known after the US disclosed details of the campaign in 2024. The British authorities confirmed only a ‘cluster of activity’ on the territory of the United Kingdom, but according to The Telegraph, there were ‘many’ hacks, especially during Rishi Sunak’s premiership (2022–2024).
Experts call Salt Typhoon one of the most successful operations in the history of cyber espionage. The UK emphasises that local telecommunications networks were better protected than American ones thanks to the 2021 Telecommunications Security Act.
The Chinese Embassy in London has traditionally rejected the accusations, calling them ‘groundless’ and ‘lacking evidence.’ A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that Beijing is committed to cybersecurity and is itself a victim of cyberattacks.
The British authorities have not yet officially commented on the extent of the damage, but emphasise that they are continuing to strengthen their defences against such threats.