Centre seeks info from Apple after Opposition MPs get 'hack alert'

Tribune News Service

Shubhadeep Choudhury

New Delhi, October 31

The government today asked iPhone maker Apple to provide “accurate information” about the culprits after several top Opposition MPs, including TMC’s Mahua Moitra and Congress’ Shashi Tharoor, red-flagged a notification by the US-based company of attempts by “state-sponsored attackers” to hack their phones, triggering off a political storm reminiscent of the Pegasus row two years ago.

Editorial: Iphone alert

IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said they would investigate the claims and asked Apple to provide information about the “state-sponsored attackers”. The minister said the government was concerned at the statements in media by some MPs as well as others about a notification received by them from Apple.

Not scared of phone tapping: Congress

We are not scared. You can do as much phone tapping as you want, I don’t care. If you want to take my phone, I will give it to you. Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP

Will get to bottom of this: Govt

Govt takes its role of protecting privacy and security of all citizens seriously and will investigate to get to the bottom of these notifications. Ashwini Vaishnaw, IT Minister

Can’t reveaL cause of such alerts: firm

• Apple says it doesn’t attribute threat notifications to specific state-sponsored attackers but adds it can’t provide info on what causes such warnings
• State-sponsored attackers are very well-funded and sophisticated, and their attacks evolve over time, it says in statement

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Yechury writes to PM | Moitra sends missive to Speaker

“In light of such information and widespread speculation, we have also asked Apple to join the investigation with real, accurate information on the alleged state-sponsored attacks,” Vaishnaw stated on X.

“The Government of Bharat takes its role of protecting the privacy and security of all citizens very seriously and will investigate to get to the bottom of these notifications,” Vaishnaw asserted. The email from Apple titled “ALERT: State-sponsored attackers may be targeting your iPhone” goes on to say: “These attackers are likely targeting you individually because of who you are or what you do. If your device is compromised by a state-sponsored attacker, they may be able to remotely access your sensitive data, communications, or even the camera and microphone.”

“While it’s possible this is a false alarm, please take this warning seriously,” it said.

In a statement, Apple said state-sponsored attackers were very well funded and sophisticated and evolved over time. “Detecting such attacks relies on threat intelligence signals that are often imperfect and incomplete,” it said, adding a threat notification could turn out to be false alarm and sometime an attack might go undetected also.

The company said what caused issue of threat notifications couldn’t be divulged “as that may help state-sponsored attackers adapt their behaviour to evade detection in the future”. CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Shiv Sena-UBT’s Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote to PM Narendra Modi, while Moitra shot off a missive to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, raising concerns over the issue and demanding action.

Linking the issue with PM Modi’s “friendship” with Adani Group founder Gautam Adani, Congress’ Rahul Gandhi said as soon as the Adani issue was touched, probe agencies and snooping were deployed. Addressing a press conference here, Gandhi said Congress leaders such as KC Venugopal, Pawan Khera, Supriya Shrinate and several other Opposition leaders had got the Apple warning.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, MP Shashi Tharoor and Chhattisgarh Deputy CM TS Singhdeo; Shiv Sena-UBT’s Priyanka Chaturvedi; AAP’s Raghav Chadha; AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi; NCP’s Supriya Sule were among those who received the notification. Some journalists, including Sidhharth Varadarajan (founding editor, The Wire) also got the warning.

Former Union IT Minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said it was for Apple to issue a clarification on the alerts.

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