Netanyahu Adviser Urich Linked Private WhatsApp to UAE-Based Service, Report Says

Jonatan Urich, an adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, connected his private WhatsApp account to Ultramsg, a messaging service based in the United Arab Emirates, according to a report published Sunday. An independent cyber researcher said the link gave the service full, unencrypted access to the account's messages and media, which could include correspondence with government officials. The connection surfaced in code Urich had posted on GitHub for a media-monitoring tool he built for the Netanyahus; access to his GitHub account was later restricted. According to the report, the service's terms allow it to keep data for 120 days and share it with other parties it works with. Urich did not respond before publication.