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Thousands of confidential files, allegedly stemming from the CIA and released by Wkilileaks today as part of its Vault7 Zero Day disclosures, show how the US intelligence agency targeted Apple's iPhone, the Google Android phone, WhatsApp and other instant messenger systems, along with the Microsoft Windows PC operating system.

According to Wikileaks’ analysis, the CIA's Mobile Devices Branch (MDB) developed numerous cyber attacks to remotely hack and control popular smart phones.

A statement from Wikileaks, run by Julian Assange, said: "Infected phones can be instructed to send the CIA the user's geolocation, audio and text communications as well as covertly activate the phone's camera and microphone."

It said that iPhones were targeted due to the high number of social, political, diplomatic and business elites using them, despite it only having 14.5 per cent of the global smart phone market in 2016.