Apple iPhone spyware warnings: Thai officials meet Apple
Apple met Thai officials after politicians and others got spyware threat notifications on October 29. The government says the alerts don't prove anyone was hacked.
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giftdetect· the right gift in minutesApple has sat down with Thai officials to explain why politicians and other iPhone users in the country got spyware warnings at the end of October. The government's first answer: an alert is not proof of a break-in.
The meeting took place earlier this week. It followed Apple's October 29 threat notifications, which reached users in 99 countries. Apple says it sent them after spotting activity consistent with mercenary spyware attacks, which is the company's term for surveillance tools sold to governments or others and aimed at specific people.
After the talks, Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob said the alerts alone do not establish that attackers got into anyone's device. Authorities also have no evidence linking the attempted intrusions to Pegasus, the spyware made by NSO Group.
Why Thailand is a sensitive case
Thailand has been here before. A 2022 investigation by Citizen Lab, working with the Thai groups iLaw and DigitalReach, confirmed Pegasus infections on at least 30 people between October 2020 and November 2021. They included activists, academics and lawyers tied to the pro-democracy movement. Apple's warnings to Thai users in November 2021 helped start that inquiry, because recipients contacted researchers for help.
What does an Apple threat notification mean?
Apple has sent these notifications since 2021, reaching users in more than 150 countries. According to its guidance, a warning reflects high confidence that a user was targeted, though detection can never be absolutely certain. Apple does not say how it spots attacks, so operators can't adapt, and the notices don't name an attacker or a region.
What should you do if you get one?
Apple advises recipients to turn on Lockdown Mode and get specialist help. To check that a warning is genuine, sign in directly at account.apple.com.
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