Government: In a letter to the Department of Justice on Wednesday, Senator Ron Wyden claimed that foreign governments are using push notifications on Apple and Google smartphones to monitor their citizens. Read on to learn more.
Government using push notifications to spy on Android and iOS devices?
The push alerts do not originate directly from the application. Instead, in order to get the notifications on your screen, they go via the mobile phone carrier, such as Google for Android phones or Apple for iPhones. This has made it easier for the government to spy on people. In the letter, Wyden stated on Wednesday that “Because Apple and Google deliver push notification data, they can be secretly compelled by governments to hand over this information.”
Google and Apple have confirmed the assertions
Wyden claimed that the US government had forbidden the tech giants from disclosing any information about the surveillance problem, and Apple likewise backed up this claim. Apple said in a statement to Reuters, “In this case, the federal government prohibited us from sharing any information… Now that this method has become public, we are updating our transparency reporting to detail these kinds of requests.”
According to Reuters, Google reportedly agreed with Wyden’s “commitment to keeping users informed about these requests.”
How does it affect users?
Push notifications, though frequently insignificant, might include information about someone’s location, contact information, and more.
Senator Ron Wyden filed a letter to the Department of Justice, as reported by Reuters, stating that push notification information was being demanded by unidentified foreign authorities from Apple and Google.
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