A number of well-respected security professionals have slammed the news agency Bloomberg for an op-ed it ran on Tuesday, claiming that WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption was a gimmick, after reports emerged that the app could be exploited by mobile spyware by merely calling the phone of a would-be victim.

The hardware company at the heart of a Bloomberg story, that claimed its supply chain had been compromised by agents in China in a bid to spy on some customers, is reportedly asking its suppliers to move manufacturing out of Beijing.

As the Apple stock price continues its descent into Sir John Harrington’s famous invention, the iconic tech company is desperately scrambling to shore up the flagging sales of its latest batch of pricey iPhones, not least the so-called budget model.