Are Google and Apple Unknowingly Aiding Global Surveillance? Senator Wyden Raises Alarming Questions

Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGL Google and Apple Inc AAPL have been approached by unidentified governments seeking data from push notifications, according to U.S. Senator Ron Wyden. 

In his letter to the Department of Justice, Wyden highlighted that foreign officials demanded this information from both tech giants, revealing a new avenue for government tracking of smartphones, Reuters cites from the letter.

Also Read: 'Android Is A Massive Tracking Device', Said Apple In An Internal Mail Before Kicking Off Its Privacy-Focused iPhone Marketing

Push notifications, commonly used by apps for alerts like incoming messages or news updates, primarily travel through Google and Apple's servers. 

It gives the companies a unique perspective on the app-to-user traffic, potentially facilitating government surveillance of app usage.

Wyden urged the Department of Justice to allow public discussion about push notification spying. 

Apple responded that they were previously barred from disclosing information about government monitoring of push notifications but will now update their transparency reports to include these requests.

The surveillance tip mentioned in Wyden's letter suggests that foreign and U.S. agencies have requested push notification metadata from Apple and Google. 

This metadata helps link anonymous messaging app users to specific Apple or Google accounts. The involved foreign governments, described as U.S. allies and democracies, remain unidentified. The duration of this surveillance method is also still being determined.