SUMMARY
- MATRIX Encrypted Platform Shut Down: Authorities dismantled MATRIX, an encrypted messaging service used by criminals.
- Millions of Messages Intercepted: Over 2.3 million encrypted messages were decrypted, exposing serious crimes.
- International Raid: Arrests and server seizures occurred across France, Spain, Germany, and Lithuania.
- Sophisticated Criminal Tool: MATRIX operated on 40+ servers and required invitation-only access.
- Big Win for Law Enforcement: The takedown disrupts organized crime and aids ongoing investigations.
Authorities have dismantled MATRIX, a highly notorious encrypted messaging platform used by criminals for drug trafficking, arms deals, money laundering, and other illicit activities. The operation was carried out by Dutch and French agencies, with support from Europol and Eurojust.
MATRIX, a Platform Built for Crime
MATRIX first emerged during the investigation into the 2021 murder of a Dutch journalist. Authorities discovered the platform on the phone of a convicted criminal, initiating a thorough investigation.
According to investigators, MATRIX was explicitly created for criminal use, providing a hidden communication channel for illegal activities on an international scale. The platform’s technical sophistication and customized features made it a go-to tool among organized crime networks.
MATRIX was far more complex than previous encrypted messaging platforms such as Sky ECC and EncroChat. Its creators promoted the service as more secure, requiring invitation-only access and operating through a network of 40 servers spread across multiple countries, including France and Germany.
MATRIX Goes Down
According to Europol’s press release, authorities managed to intercept and monitor MATRIX for three months, collecting over 2.3 million messages in 33 languages. These messages revealed a network engaged in serious crimes, including international drug and arms trafficking, as well as money laundering.
On December 3rd, a coordinated operation led to the takedown of MATRIX servers in France and Germany, arrests in Spain and France, and searches in Lithuania. Users logging into the service are now met with a splash page alerting them to the law enforcement intervention.
Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor at ESET, praised the operation, telling Hackread.com that the operation highlights law enforcement’s ongoing efforts to combat crime in digital spaces. While obtaining admissible evidence remains a challenge, the disruption caused by the takedown will severely impact criminal networks relying on MATRIX.
“Criminals flourish on hidden and secure communication channels, so for an encrypted service used for illicit means to be shut down is both significant and impressive,” Jake explained. “Capturing evidence will still remain at the heart of the investigation as few prosecutions in cybercrime make it to a court hearing.”
MATRIX’s takedown is the latest in a series of disruptions targeting encrypted platforms used by criminals. Previous operations brought down services like Sky ECC, EncroChat, Exclu, and Ghost, forcing criminal networks to adopt less reliable or custom-built tools.
Disclaimer:
The cybercrime platform MATRIX is not connected to the Matrix protocol, an open standard for secure, decentralized, real-time communication overseen by The Matrix Foundation. In a comment to Hackread.com, Matthew Hodgson, technical co-founder of the Matrix protocol, clarified, “This has nothing to do with the Matrix protocol; it’s just an unfortunate naming coincidence.”
Europol also issued a statement distinguishing the two platforms, stating, “The Matrix protocol (matrix.org) is in no way connected to the Matrix secured communication service targeted in Operation OTF Continental.”
