Central government addresses opposition's allegations of phone hacking alerts as 'Algorithm Malfunction'

In a recent development, government sources have come forward to address the concerns raised by several Opposition leaders who reported receiving alert messages from Apple warning of potential "state-sponsored attackers" targeting their phones. According to these sources, the alerts may have been triggered by an "algorithm malfunction," and a formal statement on this matter is expected shortly.

Opposition leaders, including Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, and Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Shashi Tharoor, expressed alarm after receiving the messages. Their concerns were shared on social media platforms, alongside screenshots of the alerts they received, which only fueled the speculation.

Reacting to the government's statement, Priyanka Chaturvedi, from Shiv Sena (UBT), responded critically, stating, "As per India Today, government sources are claiming malware attack and Apple algorithm malfunction led to these messages. Funny that only the opposition got the memo of surveillance; even the algorithm was selective in its choice! What a joke of an excuse!" Chaturvedi posted on X (formerly Twitter) on October 31.

While government sources have suggested an "algorithm malfunction" as the cause, the Opposition remains skeptical and has raised questions about the selective nature of these messages. They argue that the messages seemed to have targeted mostly opposition leaders.

As the controversy unfolded on social media, additional leaders, including Aam Aadmi Party's Raghav Chadha and AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi, came forward with similar claims of receiving such messages.

Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP IT Cell, has urged the Opposition to await clarification from Apple before jumping to conclusions. He tweeted, "Usual suspects raising a storm over ‘state-sponsored’ attack and pretending to be martyrs is all good. But this hullabaloo, in all probability, like in the past, will end up as a damp squib! Why not wait for Apple to clarify? Or is it too much to let go of an opportunity to outrage?"