‘Stay away from WhatsApp,’ warns Telegram founderPavel Durov claims security flaws in messaging app are ‘planted backdoors’The founder of the messaging app Telegram has urged people to use “any messaging app” except WhatsApp to avoid their phone being hacked.It doesn’t matter if you are the richest person on Earth – if you have WhatsApp installed on your phone, all your data from every app on your device is accessible.”The Russian tech billionaire, who lives in self-imposed exile from his home country, claimed that the security flaws are “planted backdoors” to allow governments, law enforcement agencies and hackers to bypass the encryption and other security measures.“You can use any messaging app you like, but do stay away from WhatsApp – it has now been a surveillance tool for 13 years.”When approached for comment by The Independent, a Meta spokesperson said: “This is complete rubbish.”Register for free to continue readingRegistration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalismBy registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalistsAlready have an account?sign inBy clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply."