According to reports, Chinese state-linked actors compromised mobile devices at “the heart of Downing Street” as part of a worldwide cyber-espionage operation spanning several years that targeted telecommunications networks.
U.S. officials initially notified allied nations in 2024 upon discovering that hacking groups had infiltrated telecommunications firms globally, according to reports.
The operation allegedly focused on numerous nations, among them the United States and fellow Five Eyes intelligence partners Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
These security violations purportedly granted China entry to millions of people’s phone data and potentially enabled call interception, text message reading, and user location tracking.
The Telegraph cited Anne Neuberger, former deputy U.S. national security adviser from January 2021 to January 2025, stating the hackers could also record conversations “at will.”
Neuberger noted that the “Chinese obtained network access and essentially possessed broad, complete access,” which provided them the ability to “geolocate millions of people and record phone calls at will.”
U.S. intelligence organizations think the intrusions originated no later than 2021, though American authorities didn’t detect and reveal them until 2024.
The Associated Press reported in 2024 that U.S. federal officials pressed telecom providers to strengthen network protections. The recommendations, released by [agency] and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, aimed to eliminate the hackers and avert future incidents.
In August 2025, the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and partner nations issued a joint cybersecurity alert cautioning that Chinese government-backed operatives were attacking networks worldwide.
“The malicious conduct described in the alert partially matches cybersecurity sector reports on Chinese state-backed threat groups known by designations like Salt Typhoon,” an [official] stated.
British officials expressed worries that top government leaders might have been compromised. A source informed The Telegraph that the intrusion reached “right into the heart of Downing Street.”
Likewise, The Telegraph learned that numerous distinct hacking assaults targeted Downing Street personnel’s phones and broader government networks, particularly during Rishi Sunak’s premiership from 2022 to 2024.
Yuval Wollman, ex-Israeli intelligence head, also informed The Telegraph that it represents “one of the most prominent names” in cyber-espionage.
“Although public reports have largely concentrated on American targets, Salt Typhoon’s activities have spread to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, where it has attacked telecom companies, government bodies, and tech firms,” added Wollman from cybersecurity firm CyberProof.
The Telegraph noted that China’s foreign ministry previously rejected these allegations as “unfounded” and “without proof.”
Digital has contacted Downing Street for a response.