In the wake of Apple's October alert to independent Indian journalists and opposition politicians regarding potential government-sponsored hacking attempts on their iPhones, the Modi administration swiftly retaliated, casting doubt on the credibility of Apple's internal threat algorithms.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in a public stance, questioned the effectiveness of Apple's security measures and concurrently initiated an investigation into the security of Apple devices operating within India, as reported by The Washington Post.
An employee is pictured inside the new Apple retail store during a media preview on the eve of its opening in Mumbai on April 17, 2023.
Modi Government Pressuring Apple
Meanwhile, behind closed doors, senior officials in the Modi government took a more aggressive approach. Sources familiar with the matter, choosing to remain anonymous, disclosed that Apple's India representatives were summoned to address the political repercussions of the warnings. Additionally, an Apple security expert from abroad was brought to New Delhi for a meeting, during which government representatives pressured the Apple official to provide alternative explanations for the warnings.
This behind-the-scenes maneuvering underscored the lengths to which the Indian government was willing to go to downplay and discredit Apple's warnings, shedding light on the challenges faced by even the most powerful tech companies when navigating the assertive leadership of one of the world's most populous nations and a critical technology market.
Beyond the clash, the incident brought to the forefront broader issues concerning government critics in India. Digital rights groups, industry workers, and journalists emphasized the dangers faced by individuals critical of the government, highlighting the government's attempts to deflect suspicions of hacking against perceived enemies.
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Over 20 individuals who received Apple's warnings in October had been publicly critical of Prime Minister Modi or his ally Gautam Adani, an influential Indian energy and infrastructure tycoon. The list included a firebrand politician from West Bengal, a Communist leader from southern India, and a spokesperson for the nation's largest opposition party.
Among the notified individuals were journalists Anand Mangnale and Ravi Nair from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. According to Amnesty International's forensic examination of Mangnale's phone, the Israeli company NSO Group's spyware Pegasus infiltrated the device within 24 hours of an investigation into Adani's brother's alleged involvement in illegal stock trading. Adani's representative denied hacking participation, calling the reporting endeavor a smear campaign and underscoring the company's integrity and ethics.
Global Human Rights Group Seek Accountability
According to BJP national spokesman Gopal Krishna Agarwal, the Indian government should investigate hacking evidence. Prime Minister's communications chief Hiren Joshi did not reply to demands for comment., while Apple, when approached with written questions, opted not to provide any comments.
While India neither confirmed nor denied using the Pegasus tool, Amnesty International noted that revelation added credibility to Apple's earlier warnings and intensified concerns about the use of Pegasus spyware in India. Donncha Ó Cearbhaill, Head of Amnesty International's Security Lab, emphasized the lack of accountability in addressing these human rights violations, "which only intensifies the sense of impunity over these human rights violations," according to a TechCrunch report.
The Pegasus spyware, known for exploiting software weaknesses to access smartphone contents, has raised constitutional concerns about its use as a form of surveillance, with dozens of opposition leaders, journalists, and activists targeted until 2021, as per story from The Hindu.
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