Government Surveillance Exposed: Apple and Google Users Targeted Through Push Notifications

Unidentified governments are reportedly using push notifications from smartphone apps to surveil users, according to a letter from US Senator Ron Wyden to the Department of Justice. The letter suggests that foreign officials have been demanding data from Google and Apple, who handle the majority of push notifications. These notifications, which alert users to messages and updates, travel through the servers of these tech giants, giving them unique insight into user activity. Wyden has called for the repeal or modification of policies that hinder public discussions on push notification spying. Apple has stated that they will update their transparency reporting to include details on government requests related to push notifications. The Department of Justice has not commented on the matter.