France is developing an encrypted messaging service to address fears servers for such apps currently used by the government, including WhatsApp and Telegram, are not based in the country and are at risk of data breaches.

The move is meant to allay worries foreign agents may be able to spy on conversations between top officials, Reuters reported.

Telegram was reportedly favoured by President Emmanuel Macron, his advisers and ministers. In fact, Reuters reported the app was “used to plot his rise to power and his presidential election campaign” in 2017.

However, due to privacy concerns, recent security tools installed on government-issued smartphones blocked Telegram and WhatsApp, even though they both boast end-to-end encryption and the companies which developed the apps claim not even they can access user communication.

“We need to find a way to have an encrypted messaging service that is not encrypted by the US or Russia,” a government representative said, adding: “You start thinking about the potential breaches that could happen, as we saw with Facebook, so we should take the lead.”

Some 20 government employees are testing the new app, designed by a state-employed developer. Use of this app will become mandatory for all government workers around the middle of the year.

The app was developed on free-to-use code found on the internet and may eventually be made available to all citizens.