Met Police suspends use of phone-hacking software over Russian links

The Metropolitan Police has stopped using digital forensics software from Oxygen Forensics while it investigates US allegations that the supposedly American outfit was secretly owned by Russians and developing its wares in Moscow. Scotland Yard confirmed it has paused use of the company's tools and launched a "full review," after US prosecutors last week accused Oxygen CEO Lee Reiber and Russian national Oleg Sergeyevich Davydov of concealing the company's ownership and where its software was actually being built. The Met signed a three-year deal with Oxygen in December 2023. Digital forensics teams use its software to extract and analyze data from phones and other devices seized during investigations. "We have paused our use of the tool while we carry out a full review," a Met spokesperson told The Times. "At this time, we believe any impact to ongoing investigations will be extremely limited. The Met does not share any data obtained from investigations with Oxygen Forensics Inc." …