India’s cyber security unit, the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), is delving into allegations made by opposition politicians who reported receiving Apple iPhone notifications warning of potential “state-sponsored attackers.” The Press Trust of India news agency reported the commencement of this probe.
S. Krishnan, the Secretary for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, stated that “Apple will cooperate in this probe.” The investigation was initiated following complaints of attempted phone tapping by opposition figures.
Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s Information and Technology Minister, expressed the government’s concern regarding these complaints. He emphasized the government’s dedication to safeguarding the privacy and security of its citizens, asserting that they would conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the truth behind these notifications.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, a prominent figure from the Congress party, revealed that his staff members and several opposition lawmakers, including Shashi Tharoor, Mahua Moitra, and Priyanka Chaturvedi, had received these iPhone warning messages. Gandhi, in a fearless stance, proclaimed, “The government may engage in as much phone tapping as it desires; I am undeterred. It can confiscate my phone; I remain unafraid.”
India faced accusations in 2021 of employing the contentious Pegasus spyware technology for surveilling political opponents, activists, and journalists, charges that the government vehemently refuted.
While Apple has not provided a specific comment on the case, the company’s website clarifies that their threat notifications are “crafted to inform and aid users who may have become targets of state-sponsored attackers.”
