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Journalism of Courage
A DAY after several Opposition leaders alleged hacking of their iPhones by the government after receiving an alert from Apple warning them of “state-sponsored attackers”, CERT-In, the government’s nodal agency on computer security, and technology company Apple are learnt to have set up teams to investigate the exact nature of the attack.
Taking a serious note of the issue, some MPs who are part of the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology on Wednesday sought a meeting of the panel to discuss the Apple alert sent to Opposition MPs. CPI(M) MP John Brittas said he has written to the committee’s chairperson, Shiv Sena’s Prataprao Jadhav, seeking a meeting. Congress’s Karti Chidambaram said he would write too requesting that the affected MPs, ministry officials, and Apple representatives be called before the committee. TMC MP Jawhar Sircar said he would take up the issue at the next meeting.
According to sources in the government, after CERT-In identified certain vulnerabilities in iPhone’s operating system iOS and issued formal advisories on October 27, Apple released a new batch of updates. It is possible that there were attempts to hack iPhones in which the software was not updated, the sources said. But independent experts pointed out that many amongst those who did not update the iOS but still did not receive such alerts from Apple.
The sources said Apple is expected to explain what exactly did its system detect to trigger the alert mails to some users, whether computer security organisations in other countries point out similar instances, and if it was a simple virus attack or a coordinated attack.
When asked about the investigation, Union IT Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw refused to divulge details but said CERT-In, the national nodal agency for responding to computer security incidents, has started the investigation. “CERT-In has started investigation. Apple has also confirmed that it has received the notice for investigation,” Vaishnaw told The Indian Express.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who is also a member of the standing committee, said day-to-day issues are not discussed at the committee meetings, as per the rules. “This is not a Rahul Gandhi committee. This is a parliamentary committee which is run by rules of Parliament,” he said.
“If there is a data breach, it is a matter of concern. The committee must take cognizance of it and seek answers. Why did the alerts go? What were the inputs that generated such alerts? Why only certain MPs got the alert and not everybody? The company should explain, the ministry should provide answers,” Karti Chidambaram said.
“The gravity of this situation cannot be understated, as it not only raises concerns about the security of personal data but also the potential implications for national security. This (Apple) notification is reminiscent of the Pegasus spyware scandal, which targeted voices critical of the ruling dispensation,” Brittas said.
Asking for a meeting at the earliest, he said: “Such an examination is crucial to protect the rights of citizens enshrined in the Constitution and to uphold the democratic ethos of our nation.”
He said he wanted the committee to examine issues such as “the nature and credibility of the security threat identified by Apple”; “the extent of vulnerability of Indian iPhone users to hacking, attempts”; “the potential involvement of state-supported hackers and their motivations”; and “the adequacy of cyber security measures in place to protect the privacy and security of mobile phone users in India”.
Sircar said senior MPs in the committee had already started consultations on how to deal with the issue. “We are going to ask the chairman to set aside the agenda of the next meeting and take this up. This is a serious issue. The government stands directly accused. Already, the committee is seized of matters related to privacy. We have been talking about being caught between big tech and big state. This is the most snooping state in the history of India,” Sircar said.
He said they would also ask the chairman to take up the issue of leak of Aadhaar data of 80 crore Indians.
TMC MP and committee member Mahua Moitra, who was among those who alleged hacking of her phone, has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla: “I ask you to immediately provide us the protection required for us to continue doing our duties as a vibrant Opposition… I trust you will… seek accountability from the concerned authorities into this flagrant breach of law, Constitutional freedoms, and our rights as Members of Parliament.”
Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who was earlier the committee chairperson, called for changes in the Information Technology (IT) Act to bring all “kinds of surveillance using sophisticated software” under judicial purview. Tharoor was among those who received the Apple notification.
“Such surveillance is being done without a warrant from a judge… Searching my phone is as much an invasion of my privacy as searching my home. Using extremely expensive software for surveillance like this, totally bypassing every practice and procedure built into our legal system, needs remedy,” he told The Indian Express.
“The IT Act of 2000 is due for revision anyway. I strongly believe that one revision that is needed is regarding any kind of surveillance using sophisticated software. It must come under judicial purview,” he said.
