Several INDIA alliance leaders, including Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi and Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Shashi Tharoor asserted that they had received messages from Apple on their phones and emails, warning that state-sponsored attackers may be targeting their iPhone. However, as per government sources, the Apple messages were triggered due to algorithm malfunction. 

In response to the incident, Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi took a dig at the government over the algorithm malfunction that triggered the warning messages from Apple, terming it a joke of an excuse. She added that it is funny that only the opposition got the memo of surveillance and even the algorithm was selective in its choice. 

Furthermore, TMC MP Mahua Moitra also alleged that other leaders from the opposition INDIA bloc, including Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Shashi Tharoor, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha, CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and others in Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s office too received the warning messages from Apple.

The leaders from the opposition alliance further alleged that the government was trying to hack into their phones. The politicians also attached screenshots of the messages which they received on their phones and emails late on Monday night or on Tuesday morning. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Mahua Moitra attached screenshots of the warning message from Apple with the subject, State-sponsored attackers may be targeting your iPhone. 

Slamming the government over the incident, the TMC MP tweeted that she received a text and email from Apple warning her that the government is trying to hack into her phone and email. In addition, Priyanka Chaturvedi also inquired whether the Home Ministry would investigate the matter. 

Additionally, Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Shashi Tharoor also tweeted that they had received alert messages from Apple. Speaking on the matter, Pawan Khera asked why is the Modi government doing this. Shashi Tharoor too claimed that he received a threat-notification which he verified and that the authenticity is confirmed. 

Furthermore, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi also confirmed that he received an Apple threat notification last night and that attackers may be targeting his phone. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has also confirmed the same. 

In addition, AAP leader Raghav Chadha also said that he received the warning message from Apple on Tuesday morning and alleged that the democratic interests of the country have come under attack. He noted that the notification is reminiscent of the Pegasus spyware scandal which also targeted many voices that are critical of the BJP. Even in this attack, I am not the only opposition leader who has been attacked, multiple voices of the opposition have been targeted, he continued.

Meanwhile, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya criticized the Opposition leaders over the allegations that the government was attempting to hack their phones and urged them to wait for clarification from Apple.

In the latest development, Apple issued a statement mentioning that it does not attribute the threat notifications to any specific state sponsored attacker. It added that state-sponsored attackers are very well-funded and sophisticated, and their attacks evolve over time. It further noted that detecting such attacks relies on threat intelligence signals that are often imperfect and incomplete. It’s possible that some Apple threat notifications may be false alarms, or that some attacks are not detected, it underlined.

The company asserted that they are unable to provide information about what caused them to issue threat notifications, as that may help state-sponsored attackers adapt their behavior to evade detection.