Apple has started sending out fresh warnings to people across the globe, telling them they’ve likely been targeted by government spyware. This isn’t the first time Apple’s done this, but the scale seems bigger than usual-notifications reportedly went out to users in as many as 100 countries this week.
Journalists and Activists Among the Targets
So far, only two people have publicly said they received Apple’s latest alert. One is Ciro Pellegrino, an Italian journalist working for the news site Fanpage. He shared that he got both an email and a text from Apple on Tuesday, warning him that he was a target of spyware. According to Pellegrino, Apple’s message made it clear he wasn’t the only one: “Today’s notification is being sent to affected users in 100 countries,” the alert said.
Pellegrino wrote in his article, “Did this really happen? Yes, it is not a joke.” Clearly, he was surprised-and maybe a little shaken-by the news.
The second person to come forward is Eva Vlaardingerbroek, a Dutch political activist. She posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) showing the Apple warning. The message read: “Apple detected a targeted mercenary spyware attack against your iPhone. This attack is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do. Although it’s never possible to achieve absolute certainty when detecting such attacks, Apple has high confidence in this warning-please take it seriously.”
Vlaardingerbroek said she saw the notification as “an attempt to intimidate me, an attempt to silence me, obviously.”
Not the First Time
Apple has sent out similar warnings before, but it’s not always clear what specific spyware or hacking group is behind them. Other tech companies, like Google and WhatsApp, have also started warning users if they think they’ve been targeted by advanced spyware.
Earlier this year, another Italian journalist from Fanpage, Francesco Cancellato, got a similar heads-up-this time from WhatsApp. In his case, the spyware was reportedly made by Paragon Solutions, an Israeli company. After the news broke, Paragon apparently cut ties with its Italian government customer.
What’s Next?
At this point, Apple hasn’t commented publicly about these latest alerts, and we don’t know for sure which spyware campaign is involved. Digital rights groups like Citizen Lab are investigating, but details are still pretty scarce.
For now, it’s clear that journalists, activists, and NGO workers are still in the crosshairs of these kinds of attacks. And while Apple’s warnings are helpful, they’re also a stark reminder of how vulnerable some people are to government-backed hacking-even if they’re just doing their jobs.
If you think you might be at risk, experts recommend keeping your devices updated, being careful with suspicious links, and using secure messaging apps whenever possible. And if you ever get one of these Apple notifications, it’s probably best to take it very seriously.
As a young independent media outlet, EOTO.tech needs your support. Follow us and add us to your favorites on Google News. Thank you!
