Spyware targets the phones of German officials...and Apple sounds the alarm

Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has warned members of the German Parliament and members of the government that their mobile phones may be subject to attacks using spyware, according to information obtained by the Capital Studio of German television Channel 1. The Capital Studio Center stated that this warning relates to a threat notification targeting Apple's iPhones.

In the “Report from Berlin” program broadcast by German Channel 1, German Digital Affairs Minister Carsten Feldberger said, “Apple issued a notification stating that some devices may have been hacked using what is known as spyware.”

The minister, who belongs to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's party, the Christian Democrats, added that the Federal Office for Information Security "moved very quickly" and sent letters to all concerned persons explaining the measures they should take in this case. The minister did not provide additional details, saying that "talk now about the specific nature of the attack is nothing more than speculation, and we must wait to learn more."

Feldberger explained that it is not necessarily likely to be related to an attack using artificial intelligence, noting that spyware on phones has been around for a long time. The minister added: “However, this matter naturally raises our concerns.”

It is noteworthy that spyware is malicious software that is installed on computers or smartphones without the knowledge or consent of users, with the aim of collecting data and transmitting it to third parties. This data may include what users type on keyboards, messages, photos, geolocation data, as well as calls and microphone audio recordings.