No clear response from Apple on iPhone threat notifications sent to opposition leaders: MoS IT

The Indian government is currently seeking a definitive response from Apple concerning alerts that warned opposition political leaders of potential hacking attempts by state-sponsored actors, which surfaced approximately five months ago. Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, claimed that Apple was asked two primary questions from Apple: the security status of their devices and the rationale behind the specific alerts issued to opposition members.

Chandrasekhar expressed skepticism about the likelihood of Apple fully acknowledging any vulnerabilities within their systems, highlighting a general tendency among platforms to deny such flaws. Despite receiving certain clarifications from Apple, including dismissals of state actor involvement, the minister noted that the investigation by CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) is ongoing, aiming to understand the precise nature of the notifications.

"In my humble opinion, this is not something that any proprietary platform will completely concede whether they have vulnerabilities in their platform. There's an instinct in any platform to deny that vulnerability exists," he said.

The controversy began in October when several opposition figures reported receiving notifications from Apple about attempts by state-sponsored attackers to compromise their iPhones. The list of recipients includes prominent politicians across various parties, suggesting a widespread concern over digital security and privacy.

The government, according to Chandrasekhar, lacks the technical capability to independently evaluate the security of Apple's iOS and thus had to directly engage with the company for answers. "We certainly have no R&D (research and development) capability in the government to understand what is in the iOS and what is not, and certainly Apple is not going to tell us its proprietary technology. So we called them," Chandrasekhar said.

He firmly rejected allegations of government intentions to infringe upon privacy or suppress free speech, emphasizing a commitment to safeguarding fundamental rights and ensuring a safe and trusted internet environment.

He further addede, "They have given a number of clarifications, including on the same day that this has nothing to do with the state actor. But we pressed them further that if it has nothing to do with the state actor, then what is this notification? They have given us some clarification. They continue to... but CERT is continuing their investigation." 

Chandrasekhar also addressed the broader context of free speech in India, acknowledging the constitutional provisions for reasonable restrictions based on legality, national security, and public order. He criticized claims of government censorship as largely politically motivated, asserting the government's role as a protector of fundamental rights under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration.

"We are absolutely clear that nothing we say in any rules, nothing we say in any law will ever transgress into or interfere with the fundamental rights of any of our citizens. As a matter of fact we support it," he said.

In light of accusations regarding the government's fact-checking unit and amendments to IT Rules 2021, Chandrasekhar clarified the intention behind these measures is not to censor but to hold platforms accountable and facilitate a transparent dispute resolution process for consumers, away from government intervention. This stance is part of a larger effort to balance regulatory oversight with the protection of individual rights and freedoms in the digital age.

Also read: Apple’s cyber security team meets Indian agency over matter of iPhone threat notifications

Also read: 'Linked to George Soros': BJP's Amit Malviya on opposition's iPhone hacking charge