The senator’s letter reveals that governments are spying on Americans using app notifications on their smartphones.
It is possible to spy on smartphone users using phone push notifications, according to a letter sent to the US Department of Justice. Behind the letter is a Democratic senator Ron Wyden.
– I urge the Ministry of Justice to allow Apple and Google to inform their customers and the general public about the requirements related to smartphone notification information, Wyden writes.
Apple confirmed the practice
In his letter, Wyden says that he received a tip in the spring of 2022 that foreign governments have demanded that Apple and Google hand over information about push notifications sent to their users’ phones.
– My people have been investigating the matter for a year and, among other things, have been in contact with Apple and Google. They said that our government has forbidden the release of information related to this method of operation.
Apple confirmed the news agency for Reuters.
Wyden demands that Apple and Google be given permission to report on demands from governments and authorities, if they concern user privacy.
– I am asking the Ministry of Justice to intervene in practices that hinder transparency in this matter, Wyden states.
Apple and Google are intermediaries
Push messages are notifications that smartphone users receive, for example, about new messages, news or other events related to their applications.
Although you might imagine, the notifications do not appear on the screen directly from the application, but they go through the servers of the operating system provider. Wyden points out that this is practically the only way to send notifications to phones in a reliable and timely manner.
Since Apple and Google operate between the application and the smartphone, the authorities have gained access to data related to notifications through them.
Such information includes, among other things, which application sent the notification and when. In addition, push messages can be unique to a specific Apple or Google ID that is used on the phone.
In some cases, the entire content of the push message has also been visible. Apple encourages, but does not require, app developers to encrypt the content of push notifications sent by their apps.
Sources: Reuters, Letter from Ron Wyden