India Opposition Accuses Government of Phone Hacking Attempts

In a recent development, several Indian opposition leaders have claimed that the government tried to hack into their phones after receiving warning messages from Apple. The alert from Apple stated that the recipient was “being targeted by state-sponsored attackers”, without specifying who these attackers could be. While federal ministers have dismissed the allegations, calling them “destructive politics”, they have still expressed intentions to investigate the matter further. So far, around a dozen opposition politicians, including Shashi Tharoor and Rahul Gandhi, have confirmed receiving the message. Additionally, some journalists, such as Siddharth Varadarajan, have reported receiving the alert as well. With these claims gaining attention, the government has requested Apple’s assistance in their investigation. Apple’s support page for users explains that “state-sponsored attackers are very well-funded and sophisticated”, targeting a small number of specific individuals and their devices. However, the company refrains from disclosing specific details about these threat notifications to avoid aiding attackers in evading detection in the future. Apple claims to have sent such notifications to individuals in nearly 150 countries, showcasing the global scale of potential state-sponsored attacks. Experts suggest that companies like Apple use activity patterns to detect large-scale, coordinated malware attacks, and while it may be technically possible to attribute attacks to certain countries, Apple prefers not to assign blame. As the news spreads, politicians have questioned the selectivity of the alerts, with only opposition members receiving them thus far. However, later in the day, a BJP minister confirmed receiving the alert as well. Amid the controversy, concerns have been raised about the security of Apple devices, and demands for clarification have been made by various politicians. The issue is also being connected to the upcoming general election, with suggestions that it might be a part of broader attacks on the opposition. Opposition leaders have previously accused the government of surveillance and have been targeted by surveillance software like Pegasus in the past. It is essential for Apple to address these concerns, provide clarity on the notifications, and assist the government’s investigation to shed light on the situation.