US Senator Raises Concerns: Governments Allegedly Spying on Apple and Google Users Through Push Notifications

Numerous undisclosed foreign governments worldwide are reportedly engaging in espionage on users of Apple and Google phones through the exploitation of push notifications, according to a cautionary letter from US Senator Ron Wyden addressed to the Justice Department.

The communication revealed that in 2022, Wyden's office received a tip about governmental agencies in foreign nations compelling Google and Apple to surrender records related to smartphone "push" notifications.

Over the past year, Wyden's staff diligently investigated the tip, reaching out to both Apple and Google. In response, the companies conveyed that the government restricted the release of information concerning this practice.

Push notifications, those instantaneous alerts from apps, including messages or news updates, are not directly transmitted from app providers to users. Senator Wyden expressed concern that Apple and Google could be discreetly coerced by foreign governments into divulging this information.

Apple recently issued "threat notifications" to individuals across nearly 150 countries, including India, where a team of experts is investigating instances of politicians receiving warnings about state-sponsored hackers targeting their devices.

In a letter, Senator Wyden insisted that Apple and Google should have the liberty to be transparent about the legal requests they receive, particularly from foreign governments. He urged the companies to disclose whether they have been compelled to assist in this surveillance practice, share aggregate statistics on the number of demands they receive, and, unless restrained by a court, notify specific customers about data demands.

While the letter did not identify the specific foreign governments making these requests, an Apple spokesperson affirmed the company's commitment to transparency, expressing the federal government's prohibition on information sharing. The spokesperson stated that Apple would update its transparency reporting to incorporate details about such requests.

Google, through a spokesperson, echoed Wyden's commitment to keeping users informed about these requests. The company highlighted its previous efforts in being the first major company to publish a public transparency report, disclosing the number and types of government requests for user data, including those referred to by Senator Wyden.

(With Agency Inputs)