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Germany Warns Lawmakers Their iPhones May Have Been Hacked With Spyware
Germany's cybersecurity office warns Bundestag members their iPhones may have been targeted by government-backed spyware.
Key points
- The BSI said Bundestag members and other unnamed notable individuals received Apple warnings of possible cyberattacks.
- Apple's threat notifications do not attribute attacks to specific governments or confirm that a phone was compromised.
- Apple's latest threat notifications went to users in 99 countries, according to a notice Mortada received.
Why it matters. The BSI says anyone receiving an Apple threat notification should assume their device may have been compromised, which could affect officials and civil society members in many countries.
Germany's cybersecurity office, the BSI, said over the weekend that Bundestag members and other unnamed notable people had received Apple warnings that they may have been targeted. Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius did not say who in the federal government was targeted, including whether Chancellor Friedrich Merz was among them.
Latest updates
Germany Warns Lawmakers Their iPhones May Have Been Hacked With Spyware
Apple began sending notifications warning users that their iPhones may have been compromised. German lawmakers and a filmmaker are among recipients. Germany's federal cybersecurity office, known as the BSI, said in a note over the weekend that it had become aware members of the Bundestag were affected. The BSI is warning politicians and public figures that the attacks appear to be government-backed spyware. The report describes the warnings as coming days after Apple's notifications began.