Foreign governments may be spying on your smartphone notifications, senator says

Foreign governments have allegedly attempted to spy on iPhone and Android users through mobile app notifications, according to a US senator. These governments have reportedly forced Apple and Google to keep silent about the surveillance attempts. In what is described as a workaround for encryption, governments have tried to obtain sensitive information, possibly including the contents of notifications such as lock screen previews or app activity updates. The senator’s report underscores the ongoing tensions between tech companies and governments over law enforcement demands. The demands for mobile notification data could potentially compromise the safety of political dissidents, journalists, and other vulnerable groups. The report also reveals the United States government’s role in limiting transparency on the issue. Apple and Google are said to possess a wealth of revealing insights through mobile notifications, and the companies are prohibited from disclosing government attempts to collect such data. The US Justice Department declined to comment on the matter. Following the publication of the report, Apple announced its commitment to transparency and stated that it will update its transparency reporting to include information about requests for mobile notification data. Google also emphasized its commitment to keeping users informed about government requests for user data and stated that it requires a court order to comply with demands for mobile notification records. The tech industry has been critical of the US government’s use of gag orders to prevent the disclosure of law enforcement data requests. Microsoft, in particular, has spoken out against the overuse and misuse of nondisclosure orders.