India Launches Investigation into iPhone Hacking Allegations by Opposition Politicians

The cyber security agency of India is currently investigating complaints made by senior opposition politicians regarding mobile phone hacking.

CREDIT: Unsplash

Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that the Computer Emergency Response Team in New Delhi, known as CERT-In, has initiated the probe. Vaishnaw stated that Apple has acknowledged receiving the notice for investigation.

The concerns raised by the politicians regarding cyber security are being thoroughly examined by the relevant authorities. Apple has not yet provided any comment regarding the ongoing investigation.

The controversy began when opposition leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of attempting to hack into the mobile phones of opposition politicians. Screenshots of a notification were shared on social media, quoting Apple as saying, "Apple believes you are being targeted by state-sponsored attackers who are trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID." A senior minister from Modi's government also reported receiving the same notification.

Apple clarified that the threat notifications were not attributed to any specific state-sponsored attacker and acknowledged the possibility of false alarms or undetected attacks. It is worth noting that in 2021, India faced allegations of using Israeli-made Pegasus spyware to conduct surveillance on journalists, activists and politicians, including Rahul Gandhi. The government has refrained from responding to inquiries regarding the purchase of Pegasus spyware for surveillance purposes.

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• India's cyber security agency is investigating allegations of mobile phone hacking made by senior opposition politicians.

• The Computer Emergency Response Team in New Delhi, CERT-In, is leading the probe.

• Apple has confirmed receiving the notice for investigation but has not provided any further comment.

Source: REUTERS