Apple Reportedly Pressured By Indian Government To Minimize Political Consequences Of iPhone Hacking Alerts

Apple Inc. AAPL was pressured by the Indian government over its warnings to Indian journalists and opposition politicians about potential hacking attempts by state-sponsored actors.

What Happened: Senior officials in the Narendra Modi administration pressured Apple to help soften the political impact of the iPhone hacking warnings, reported The Washington Post, citing anonymous sources.

The officials asked Apple to provide an alternative explanation and summoned the company to fly down one of its security experts to the country.

See Also: Apple’s iPhones Were Backdoored For Four Years Using The ‘Most Sophisticated Attack Chain’ Ever, Say Security Researchers

The Indian government officials questioned Apple’s internal threat algorithms and launched an investigation into the security of Apple devices.

In October, Apple sent warnings to several Indian journalists and opposition politicians, including Mahua Moitra of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Shashi Tharoor of the Indian National Congress, and Raghav Chadha of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), about potential state-sponsored hacking attempts on their devices.

Apple’s representatives in India emphasized caveats in their warnings – something that was already listed on the company's support page.

Apple defended its work, stating that its warnings are based on solid evidence and that it needs to protect user privacy. The confrontation between Apple and the Modi administration ended in a stalemate, with Apple standing its ground and the government continuing its investigation.

Why It Matters: The confrontation between Apple and the Indian government highlights the growing tensions between technology companies and governments around the world. Governments are increasingly concerned about technology companies’ power and ability to influence public opinion and political discourse.

Apple’s warnings to Indian journalists and politicians are a reminder that even the most secure systems can be compromised.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.