Apple has sent a new batch of notifications to customers it suspects have been attacked with spyware capable of hacking their devices. The tech giant occasionally sends these notifications to alert its customers that their iPhones, iPads, or Macs may have been compromised with spyware commonly used by governments. Apple told TechCrunch that it sent the notifications on Thursday to users in 110 countries. Apple says it has notified customers in more than 150 countries to date, giving context to the extent to which spyware used by governments has spread around the world. In a new support article on its website, Apple says it will notify users directly on their iPhone’s lock screen with a push notification urging the person to take action. Apple told TechCrunch that it updated the user experience, making it easier for recipients to access important information about what to do next. When received, a threat notification will say: “Apple has detected a mercenary spyware attack targeting your iPhone. There are actions you can take now to protect your data and your device.” Apple also sends email notifications to users when they sign in to their account. John Scott-Railton, senior researcher at digital research group Citizen Lab, first highlighted the latest batch of spyware notifications in a thread on X. If you receive a notification like this, take it seriously. We’ve explained before what happens when someone receives a notification saying they’ve been attacked. This may not mean that you have been successfully hacked, but you should still take immediate steps to protect your device and data. The push notification also offers advice on who to turn to for help. You will also be advised to turn on lockdown mode, a security feature that makes it much more difficult for spyware attacks to succeed. According to Apple, there have yet to be any cases where someone’s device was hacked while lock mode was on. Spyware attacks are generally rare, but the proliferation of surveillance technology in recent years has allowed governments to abuse them and use them against critics, including members of civil society. Citizen Lab’s Scott-Railton told TechCrunch that these new push notifications are a “huge improvement” in urging people to seek help protecting their devices since Apple introduced its spyware alerts in 2021. “The notifications create a critical signal that a community is being attacked. People get an alert and then some of them reach out and seek help. Often, this starts an investigation that reveals many, many more cases,” Scott-Railton said. Citing the ongoing scandal in Poland over the previous government’s use of spyware against its rivals, Scott-Railton said that without Apple’s notifications, “that whole massive scandal about the abuse of spyware in the Polish elections would not have been discovered.” When you buy through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This does not affect our editorial independence.
