Indian government pressured Apple to soften iPhone hack warnings: Report
After Apple's warnings in October about potential hacking attempts by 'state-sponsored attackers' on iPhones, the Indian government urged the company to soften its message, the Washington Post reported. Government officials called Apple's representatives in India and demanded the company's assistance in weakening the political impact of the warnings. Even Apple security experts were called in and urged to provide alternative explanations for the warnings to the users.
Apple officials stand by the company's warnings
"The visiting Apple officials stood by the company's warnings. But the intensity of the Indian government's effort to discredit and strong-arm Apple disturbed executives at the company's headquarters," the report claimed. On October 31, several opposition leaders and some journalists claimed that they had received emails from Apple, warning them that state-sponsored attackers were potentially remotely trying to compromise the iPhones associated with their IDs.
IT minister dismissed opposition claims
At that time, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had expressed concern over Apple's threat notifications but dismissed allegations that the government was involved in hacking iPhones. "The government is concerned about this issue and it will get to the bottom of it. We have already ordered an investigation into it," Vaishnaw said during a press conference. He also mentioned in his social media posts that "much of the information by Apple on this issue seems vague and non-specific in nature."
