Apple Faces Government Pressure in India Over State-Sponsored Hacking Warnings

Indian authorities have questioned Apple regarding the accuracy of its internal threat algorithms and are currently investigating the security of its devices. This comes after the company warned journalists and opposition politicians that they may have been targeted by state-sponsored hackers in October.

The Washington Post reports that government officials were more direct in their demands behind closed doors, pressuring Apple to find a way to mitigate the political impact of its hacking warnings. They also called in an Apple security expert to provide alternative explanations for the warnings that could be shared with the public, potentially diverting attention away from the government as the possible perpetrator.

The individuals who received Apple’s warnings on social media had one commonality: they were all critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Amnesty International examined the phone of journalist Anand Mangnale, who was investigating Modi ally Gautam Adani, and discovered that an attacker had planted the Pegasus spyware on his Apple device. While Apple did not explicitly blame the Indian government for the attacks, Pegasus is primarily used by governments and government agencies.

This is not the first time critics of Modi’s government have been infected with Pegasus spyware. In 2021, an investigation by several publications revealed the spyware on the phones of individuals with a history of opposing and criticizing the government. India’s ruling political party has never confirmed or denied using Pegasus for spying purposes, but the controversy surrounding Apple’s warnings highlights the potential for government surveillance and the need for increased security measures.