According to media information in 2019, French head of state Emmanuel Macron, his former prime minister and 14 ministers were possible targets for the surveillance software Pegasus.
One of Macron's cell phone numbers is on a list of a Moroccan security service for possible spying.
The daily newspaper "Le Monde" reported on Tuesday evening on its website.
From circles around Macron's official residence it was said that the media information did not mean that Macron's cell phone was actually spied on.
However, if the facts reported should prove to be true, "they are of course very serious".
After the revelations, clarification is necessary.
Pegasus uses security holes in smartphone software to gain extensive access to data.
Macron has been using the affected number since 2017, wrote "Le Monde".
He was also available in the past few days.
French Prime Minister at that time was Édouard Philippe.
Public prosecutors started an investigation
The numbers of the French government belong to a data set with more than 50,000 telephone numbers, which an international journalist consortium evaluated together with the organizations Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International, according to "Le Monde". According to the reports, the numbers are said to have been selected by customers of the Israeli software provider NSO as potential spying targets. NSO had denied the allegations and denied individual details from the reports. The “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, NDR, WDR and “Zeit” are also involved in the journalist consortium.
France's government spokesman Gabriel Attal spoke of an "extremely shocking issue" on Monday after the first revelations.
"We are very attached to the freedom of the press," he said on Franceinfo.
According to an earlier report by “Le Monde”, the list also included around 30 journalists and heads of media companies in France.
After a complaint from two journalists and the publishing company of the online platform "Mediapart", the Paris public prosecutor opened an investigation.
"Mediapart" reported that the cell phones of two journalists were targeted by the Pegasus software between 2019 and 2020 - Moroccan secret services were behind them, according to the allegation.