New Delhi: Several opposition leaders on Tuesday said they received messages from Apple warning them of "state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise" their iPhones and posted the purported screenshots on their X handles.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Priyanka Chaturvedi, Congress' Lok Sabha Member Shashi Tharoor and his party's media and publicity department head Pawan Khera were among the leaders who claimed they received the message from the tech giant.
Here are the political leaders who claimed to have been notified by Apple:
- Mahua Moitra (Trinamool Congress MP)
- Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena UBT MP)
- Raghav Chadha (AAP MP)
- Shashi Tharoor (Congress MP)
- Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM MP)
- Sitaram Yechury (CPI(M) general secretary)
- Pawan Khera (Congress spokesperson)
- Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party president)
- K.C. Venugopal (Congress MP)
- Supriya Shrinate (Congress spokesperson)
- Revanth Reddy (Congress MP)
- T.S. Singhdeo (Chhattisgarh deputy CM and Congress leader)
- K.T. Rama Rao (Telangana minister and BRS leader)
"Received text and email from Apple warning me that the government trying to hack into my phone and email. @HMOIndia -- get a life. Adani and PMO bullies - your fear makes me pity you," TMC's Mahua Moitra said sharing the screenshots.
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Received text & email from Apple warning me Govt trying to hack into my phone & email. @HMOIndia - get a life. Adani & PMO bullies - your fear makes me pity you. @priyankac19 - you, I , & 3 other INDIAns have got it so far . pic.twitter.com/2dPgv14xC0
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) October 31, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Received text & email from Apple warning me Govt trying to hack into my phone & email. @HMOIndia - get a life. Adani & PMO bullies - your fear makes me pity you. @priyankac19 - you, I , & 3 other INDIAns have got it so far . pic.twitter.com/2dPgv14xC0
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) October 31, 2023Received text & email from Apple warning me Govt trying to hack into my phone & email. @HMOIndia - get a life. Adani & PMO bullies - your fear makes me pity you. @priyankac19 - you, I , & 3 other INDIAns have got it so far . pic.twitter.com/2dPgv14xC0
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) October 31, 2023
Priyanka Chaturvedi also shared a similar screenshot which she claimed to have received from Apple and said, "Wonder who? Shame on you. Cc: @HMOIndia for your kind attention".
Replying to Moitra's post, she said, "So not just me but also @MahuaMoitra has received this warning from Apple. Will @HMOIndia investigate?"
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Wonder who? Shame on you.
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) October 30, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
Cc: @HMOIndia for your kind attention pic.twitter.com/COUJyisRDk
">Wonder who? Shame on you.
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) October 30, 2023
Cc: @HMOIndia for your kind attention pic.twitter.com/COUJyisRDkWonder who? Shame on you.
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) October 30, 2023
Cc: @HMOIndia for your kind attention pic.twitter.com/COUJyisRDk
Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor also shared a post about him receiving a similar message.
"Received from an Apple ID, threat-notifications@apple.com, which I have verified. Authenticity confirmed. Glad to keep underemployed officials busy at the expenses of taxpayers like me! Nothing more important to do?" he said on X.
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Received from an Apple ID, threat-notifications@apple.com, which I have verified. Authenticity confirmed. Glad to keep underemployed officials busy at the expenses of taxpayers like me! Nothing more important to do?@PMOIndia @INCIndia @kharge @RahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/5zyuoFmaIa
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 31, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Received from an Apple ID, threat-notifications@apple.com, which I have verified. Authenticity confirmed. Glad to keep underemployed officials busy at the expenses of taxpayers like me! Nothing more important to do?@PMOIndia @INCIndia @kharge @RahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/5zyuoFmaIa
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 31, 2023Received from an Apple ID, threat-notifications@apple.com, which I have verified. Authenticity confirmed. Glad to keep underemployed officials busy at the expenses of taxpayers like me! Nothing more important to do?@PMOIndia @INCIndia @kharge @RahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/5zyuoFmaIa
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 31, 2023
Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera also shared a screenshot of a similar message on X and said, "Dear Modi Sarkar, why are you doing this?"
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Dear Modi Sarkar, why are you doing this? pic.twitter.com/3hWmAx00ql
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) October 31, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Dear Modi Sarkar, why are you doing this? pic.twitter.com/3hWmAx00ql
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) October 31, 2023Dear Modi Sarkar, why are you doing this? pic.twitter.com/3hWmAx00ql
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) October 31, 2023
AIMIM chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi also registered himself in the list of politicians claiming to have received the message. The MP said, "Received an Apple Threat Notification last night that attackers may be targeting my phone."
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Received an Apple Threat Notification last night that attackers may be targeting my phone
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) October 31, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
ḳhuub parda hai ki chilman se lage baiThe haiñ
saaf chhupte bhī nahīñ sāmne aate bhī nahīñ pic.twitter.com/u2PDYcqNj6
">Received an Apple Threat Notification last night that attackers may be targeting my phone
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) October 31, 2023
ḳhuub parda hai ki chilman se lage baiThe haiñ
saaf chhupte bhī nahīñ sāmne aate bhī nahīñ pic.twitter.com/u2PDYcqNj6Received an Apple Threat Notification last night that attackers may be targeting my phone
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) October 31, 2023
ḳhuub parda hai ki chilman se lage baiThe haiñ
saaf chhupte bhī nahīñ sāmne aate bhī nahīñ pic.twitter.com/u2PDYcqNj6
Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha too alleged the same.
"Early this morning I received a concerning notification from Apple, warning me about a potential state-sponsored spyware attack on my phone. The notification states that, “If your device is compromised by a state-sponsored attacker, they may be able to remotely access your sensitive data, communications, or even the camera and microphone," the Rajya Sabha member posted on X.
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Early this morning I received a concerning notification from Apple, warning me about a potential state-sponsored spyware attack on my phone. The notification states that, “If your device is compromised by a state-sponsored attacker, they may be able to remotely access your… pic.twitter.com/JrVD9Zh9im
— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) October 31, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Early this morning I received a concerning notification from Apple, warning me about a potential state-sponsored spyware attack on my phone. The notification states that, “If your device is compromised by a state-sponsored attacker, they may be able to remotely access your… pic.twitter.com/JrVD9Zh9im
— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) October 31, 2023Early this morning I received a concerning notification from Apple, warning me about a potential state-sponsored spyware attack on my phone. The notification states that, “If your device is compromised by a state-sponsored attacker, they may be able to remotely access your… pic.twitter.com/JrVD9Zh9im
— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) October 31, 2023
Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, TS Singhdeo also posted on X claiming that he too received the same message. "Is this the most optimal way to spend the taxpayers' money? Snooping and spying on public representatives? Unable to defeat the alliance of opposition parties in the political battlefield, the BJP leadership is scared and using illegitimate means against us. Let this be made crystal clear, such shenanigans may scare the weak and the corrupt - We will continue to challenge every wrongdoing of the BJP", TS Singhdeo X post read.
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ये सियासत है कि लानत है सियासत पे 'सदा'
— T S Singhdeo (@TS_SinghDeo) October 31, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
ख़ुद हैं मुजरिम बने क़ानून बनाने वाले।
Is this the most optimal way to spend the taxpayers' money? Snooping and spying on public representatives?
Unable to defeat the alliance of opposition parties in the political battlefield, the BJP… pic.twitter.com/ZoxMqCDCpa
">ये सियासत है कि लानत है सियासत पे 'सदा'
— T S Singhdeo (@TS_SinghDeo) October 31, 2023
ख़ुद हैं मुजरिम बने क़ानून बनाने वाले।
Is this the most optimal way to spend the taxpayers' money? Snooping and spying on public representatives?
Unable to defeat the alliance of opposition parties in the political battlefield, the BJP… pic.twitter.com/ZoxMqCDCpaये सियासत है कि लानत है सियासत पे 'सदा'
— T S Singhdeo (@TS_SinghDeo) October 31, 2023
ख़ुद हैं मुजरिम बने क़ानून बनाने वाले।
Is this the most optimal way to spend the taxpayers' money? Snooping and spying on public representatives?
Unable to defeat the alliance of opposition parties in the political battlefield, the BJP… pic.twitter.com/ZoxMqCDCpa
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, while speaking to PTI said that he also received a message from Apple about "state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise" his iPhone as he hit out at the Modi government for turning India into a "surveillance state". Yechury said this is an assault on democratic rights guaranteed by the Constitution and is a part of the destruction of democracy.
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On Apple’s alert on the state sponsored snooping of mobiles and other devices of opposition leaders and journalists.https://t.co/WMow4nRiQp
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) October 31, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">On Apple’s alert on the state sponsored snooping of mobiles and other devices of opposition leaders and journalists.https://t.co/WMow4nRiQp
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) October 31, 2023On Apple’s alert on the state sponsored snooping of mobiles and other devices of opposition leaders and journalists.https://t.co/WMow4nRiQp
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) October 31, 2023
The message shared by the MPs stated, "ALERT: State-sponsored attackers may be targeting your iPhone". "Apple believes you are being targeted by state-sponsored attackers who are trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID. These attackers are likely targeting you individually because of who you are or what you do. If your device is compromised by a state-sponsored attacker, they may be able to remotely access your sensitive data, communications, or even the camera and microphone. While it's possible this is a false alarm, please take this warning seriously," it stated.
