Mahua Moitra Writes to LS Speaker Regarding Apple Security Alerts Received by Opposition MPs, Requests Protection

GG News Bureau

New Delhi, 1^st Nov. TMC MP Mahua Moitra on Wednesday wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, expressing concern over the security alerts received by various opposition leaders regarding “state-sponsored” attacks on their iPhones.

Moitra has urged the Speaker to ensure their protection so that they can continue performing their duties effectively.

This “illegal surveillance by the government” is the worst attack on fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, the Krishnanagar MP said.

On Tuesday, several opposition leaders, including Moitra, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, AAP’s Raghav Chadha, Congress’ Shashi Tharoor, and his party’s media and publicity department head Pawan Khera, as well as CPI(M) general Sitaram Yechury, claimed to have received alerts from Apple. These alerts warned them about “state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise” their iPhones.

The leaders shared screenshots of the message on their social media accounts.

In her letter to Birla, Moitra explained that the opposition leaders had received a message informing them that they were being targeted by state-sponsored attackers. These attackers were attempting to remotely compromise their devices and gain access to their data, communications, and even their camera and microphone.

“This threat is doubly shocking in light of the Pegasus software (sold only to governments) that was used to compromise the devices of various members of the Opposition, dissenting journalists and members of civil society during 2019-2021.

“Honourable Shri Abhishek Banerjee, MP, National General Secretary of the All India Trinamool Congress, the party I represent in Lok Sabha, was one of the targets. In spite of the opposition raising this issue in the House, no debate was allowed and no conclusive report has been filed by any agency,” she said.

“We are representatives of the Parliament of India, the largest democracy in the world. This illegal surveillance by the government using software available only to state actors, is the worst attack on our fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of our great democracy.

“You, sir, are the proverbial keeper of the faith, the guardian of the Lok Sabha and the ultimate parent to each of its members. It is in this capacity that I ask you to immediately provide us the protection required for us to continue doing our duties as a vibrant opposition which is to question and hold to account the ruling dispensation,” she said.

Reacting to opposition leaders’ claims, iPhone-maker Apple Inc said on Tuesday that it does not attribute threat notifications, such as the ones received by some MPs belonging to opposition parties, to any specific state-sponsored attackers.

It is possible that some threat notifications may be false alarms and some attacks may not be detected, it said.

The government has ordered an investigation by CERT-In into the opposition leaders’ claims.

IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday that Apple has been asked to join the investigation with real and accurate information on the alleged state-sponsored attacks.