iPhone alerts to MPs: Apple team from US likely to meet Indian ministry experts

Apple cyber security executives from the US are expected to meet officials of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) this month regarding the show cause notice issued to the company in the wake of several Opposition leaders and other prominent Indian citizens receiving a warning notification on their iPhones.

Last month, several Opposition leaders claimed to have received an alert from Apple warning them of "state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise" their iPhones, and alleged hacking by the government.

CERT-In, which functions under the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), had issued a show cause notice to Apple in this regard.

On Friday, MeitY minister of state Rajeev Chandrasekhar said Apple has to reply to the notice, which needs to be done by their global cyber security team. "They have to come here and answer those questions. Basic issue is ongoing," the minister told reporters.

He also said CERT-In has met local representatives of Apple, but the issue is beyond their capability to respond. "It is their cyber security people who have to come and meet CERT-In and they will come all the way from US," the minister said.

Asked about the deadline given to Apple to submit its response, the minister said he is not certain about the dates but expect the team to meet Cert-In officials sometime this month.

A Meity official said the Apple cyber security team will come this month only if they get their visas on time.

Meanwhile, the MPs who received the warning notification on their iPhones include Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, party leaders Shashi Tharoor, Pawan Khera, KC Venugopal, Supriya Shrinate, TS Singhdeo and Bhupinder S Hooda; Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, and some aides of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi also claimed received the notification.