| 01 November 2023
| Christie Anto
New Delhi, India — In a startling revelation, technology giant Apple has issued warnings to several Indian opposition leaders and journalists, cautioning them that their iPhones may have fallen victim to "state-sponsored attackers." The notifications were sent out on Tuesday, with Apple stressing the gravity of the situation, stating, "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 the alerts from Apple lack specific details, they have sparked concerns among the individuals who received them, including prominent politicians like Mahua Moitra of the Trinamool Congress, Asaduddin Owaisi, leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party, Shashi Tharoor, Pawan Khera, and Supriya Shrinate from the Congress party. Moitra, known for her relentless pursuit of allegations connecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to billionaire Gautam Adani, promptly responded with a scathing remark on social media, accusing the government of attempting to hack into her phone and email.
The controversy surrounding the Adani Group has been a focal point in Indian politics, with Hindenburg Research, a US-based company specializing in short-selling, accusing the conglomerate of stock manipulation and accounting fraud. While the Adani Group denied the allegations, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) launched an investigation, which is still ongoing. The allegations against Moitra of accepting bribes and gifts in exchange for targeting the Adani Group in parliament were also part of the recent political turmoil.
Apple's notifications extended to other opposition figures, including Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Akhilesh Yadav from the Samajwadi Party, Raghav Chadha of the Aam Aadmi Party, and Priyanka Chaturvedi from the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray). These leaders are members of the INDIA alliance, a coalition of nearly two dozen opposition parties gearing up to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led bloc in the upcoming general elections.
Priyanka Chaturvedi voiced her concerns, characterizing the situation as a "concerted attack on opposition leaders using sophisticated spyware to silence their voices." She urged the government to address the allegations raised by Apple, emphasizing the seriousness of the claims.
Siddharth Varadarajan, the founding editor of independent news website The Wire, Sriram Karri from the Deccan Chronicle newspaper, and Samir Saran of the Observer Research Foundation also disclosed that they received similar warnings from Apple. The Wire was previously involved in a 2021 investigation that accused the Indian government of using the Pegasus spyware to surveil opposition politicians, dissident journalists, and activists, a claim the government vehemently denied.
Amidst the mounting concerns, Ashwini Vaishnaw, India's federal Minister of Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology, stated on social media that the information provided by Apple was "vague and non-specific in nature." He disclosed that the government had requested Apple's cooperation in an investigation to clarify the allegations.
Apar Gupta, the director of the Internet Freedom Foundation, a digital rights advocacy organization, raised alarm over the timing of the Apple notifications, given the upcoming state assembly elections and the 2024 general elections. He emphasized the need for an independent, transparent technical analysis and clear disclosures from the government of India regarding its spyware purchases and deployments, asserting that the issue strikes at the heart of Indian democracy.
The developments have set the stage for a critical examination of digital security, privacy, and potential state-sponsored espionage in India's political landscape, as opposition figures and journalists await further information and action from both Apple and the government.
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