This story was first published by the Benzinga India portal.
In a bid to address the escalating hacking controversy in India, Apple Inc. AAPL is reportedly dispatching its technical and cybersecurity specialists to consult with Indian officials probing the issue.
On Oct. 31, a political storm took off as key opposition figures including Mahua Moitra of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena (United Bharatiya Trinamool), Shashi Tharoor of the Indian National Congress, and Raghav Chadha of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) disclosed receiving warnings from Apple about potential state-sponsored attacks on their devices.
This disclosure sparked a fierce political debate, leading to accusations from the opposition of governmental spying. The Indian government, refuting these allegations, called for a comprehensive examination and sought explanations from Apple.
According to reports, the Apple team in India has been liaising with government officials. The arrival of Apple’s experts had been delayed due to visa issues, however, those problems have now been resolved, clearing the way for their visit.
A government official, in a discussion with MoneyControl, insinuated that the investigation may reveal a loophole in Apple’s system that made users globally susceptible to malware. The official suggested that this vulnerability could be the true cause behind the mass threat notifications, rather than the alleged state-sponsored espionage.
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the national agency dealing with cybersecurity threats, is leading the investigation into the matter, following the government's notice to Apple as opposition leaders voiced their concerns.
Read next: Apple’s iPhone Exports From India Skyrocket, Surpassing $5B In Just 7 Months
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