Central Government Launches Investigation into Apple’s Phone Tapping Allegations
The Central Information Technology Department Secretary, S. Krishnan, announced on Thursday that the central government has initiated an investigation in response to Apple’s recent warning. The tech giant had alerted users that government-backed attack groups were attempting to hack into the phones of key opposition leaders and steal sensitive information.
Apple issued a statement notifying users about the potential threat but refrained from disclosing the exact reason behind the warning. “Telling what prompted this warning could help attackers. Therefore, we are not able to provide complete information on the reason for issuing the warning messages,” the company explained.
The warning sparked outrage among Indian politicians, with many opposition leaders sharing the message on social media platforms and criticizing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the central government. In response to the growing concerns, Union Minister of Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnav has assured the public that a thorough investigation will be carried out to address the issue.
Furthermore, Union Minister of State for Information Technology Rajiv Chandrasekhar demanded an explanation from Apple regarding the wide distribution of the warning message that reached people in over 150 countries.
Secretary S. Krishnan confirmed that the central government has already launched an investigation into the matter. He stated, “India’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CHOT-IN) has initiated its investigation. A notice has been sent to Apple, and we hope that the company will cooperate fully in the investigation.”
The Computer Emergency Response Team of India, commonly known as CHOT-IN, is a central government agency responsible for implementing security measures and responding to computer security vulnerabilities in the country.
As the investigation continues, many eagerly await the findings to shed light on the alleged phone tapping and clarify the situation surrounding Apple’s warning message.