‘Thank you PM Modi …’ : Congress’s KC Venugopal takes dig at Centre after getting Apple alert about ‘malicious spyware’ | India News

NEW DELHI: Congress MP KC Venugopal on Saturday accused the Centre of using “malicious spyware” to try and hack his phone, and said he was made aware of the attempt after receiving an intimation from Apple.
Apple had sent a similar alert to Venugopal on October 30, 2023.
A screenshot of the Apple alert that the Congress leader shared on the social media platform read: “This is not a repeat notice — this is to inform you that we detected another attack against your device.”
Strongly condemning the PM Modi-led government’s alleged attempts to hack his phone using state-sponsored spyware, Venugopal said, “Thank you PM Modi ji for sending your favorite malicious spyware on my phone also! Apple has been kind enough to intimate me about this special present of yours!”

Venugopal accused the Modi government of acting in a “criminal and unconstitutional manner” by targeting “political opponents and invading their privacy”.
Referring to the recent Lok Sabha elections, Venugopal asserted that the people have rejected any attack on the Constitution and the BJP’s “fascist agenda”. He vowed to “oppose this blatantly unconstitutional act and breach on our privacy tooth and nail”.
Venugopal’s comments come days after tech giant Apple issued a fresh warning to iPhone users in at least 98 countries, including in India, about a potential new mercenary spyware attack like ‘Pegasus’.
The Apple warning tells users that “you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID”. In the warning, the iPhone maker further said that this attack is “likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do”.
“Although it’s never possible to achieve absolute certainty when detecting such attacks, Apple has high confidence in this warning – please take it seriously,” the company added.

Repeat of last year?

In October last year, the US-based technology company had sent similar warnings to users in India.
At the time too, several opposition leaders including Shashi Tharoor, Mahua Moitra, and Priyanka Chaturvedi had shared posts showing the Apple warning they got, and blamed the Centre for being behind the “state-sponsored” attack.
Rahul Gandhi also said his office staff had received the warning.
The opposition has accused the Modi government of using surveillance software like Pegasus to monitor its political rivals.
The Centre had at the time refuted all allegations, but had pledged to investigate the origins of the notifications. IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had requested Apple to provide “real, accurate information” on the alleged attacks.