Apple and Google have issued a new round of cyber threat notifications to users worldwide, signaling their latest effort to protect customers from state-sponsored surveillance, the companies announced this week.
Congress Seeks Action from Google and Apple Over Apps Tracking Federal Immigration Officers
Apple said the alerts were sent on December 2, though it provided few details about the suspected hacking activity, the number of users affected, or the parties behind the attacks. The tech giant noted that “to date we have notified users in over 150 countries in total.”
Google followed with its own announcement on December 3, warning users targeted by Intellexa spyware. According to Google, the spyware affected several hundred accounts across countries including Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Angola, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, and Tajikistan. Intellexa, a cyber intelligence firm sanctioned by the U.S. government, has been reportedly evading restrictions and continuing its operations.
Both companies are among several tech firms that regularly alert users when they detect potential targeting by government-backed hackers.
John Scott-Railton, a researcher with the Canadian digital watchdog Citizen Lab, said threat notifications increase the costs for cyber spies by alerting victims. He added that such warnings are often “the first step in a string of investigations and discoveries that can lead to real accountability around spyware abuses.”
Previous waves of notifications have drawn attention from government bodies, including the European Union, whose senior officials have been among the targets of spyware campaigns.
