Apple Is Not the First Tech Company To Allege Government Role in Misuse of Spyware

Apple has issued an alert to several Indian opposition leaders and journalists that they may have been targeted by “state-sponsored attackers” attempting to compromise their iPhones. The nature of the attack suggests a strong resemblance to the Pegasus spyware, developed by the Israeli cybersecurity firm NSO Group, which was allegedly used against leading figures from 2017. The alert has revived conversations on the topic after an expert committee found no “conclusive evidence” of the use of Pegasus. Union minister for electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, has ordered an investigation into the issue.