U.S. senator says Governments are spying on Apple and Google users through phone notifications

In a letter addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Senator Ron Wyden expressed concern about foreign governments spying on smartphone users by pressuring Apple and Google to share push notification records. Senator Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, said that his office investigated a tip received last year, which alleged that government agencies were "demanding" these records from both companies.

According to Wyden, push notifications, such as news alerts, emails, and social media alerts, pass through the servers of Apple and Google. This means that these records can potentially provide valuable insights into how individuals use specific apps. The senator highlighted that governments have the power to compel Apple and Google to disclose these records, just as they can demand any other user information. However, he noted that in the United States, information regarding push notification records cannot be made publicly available.

Wyden emphasized the importance of allowing Apple and Google to openly disclose the legal requests they receive, particularly from foreign governments. He argued that these tech giants regularly inform users about other types of government data demands and should have the same transparency with regards to push notification records.

Wyden called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to eliminate or modify any policies that hinder this transparency. It was mentioned that push notification records can divulge information such as the receiving app, timestamp, phone and Apple/Google account involved, and sometimes even the unencrypted content displayed in the notification. Although Wyden didn't specify which governments have made these requests, his office provided no further comment. CNBC was directed to read the letter for more details.

According to a source confirming to Reuters, both Google and Apple have received requests for information from foreign government agencies as well as US government agencies, regarding push notifications. The requests include asking for metadata that can link anonymous users on messaging apps to specific Apple and Google accounts.

The federal government has prohibited Apple from sharing any information in this regard. As a result, Apple plans to update its transparency reporting to provide more details on these types of requests. Google also expressed its commitment to keeping people informed about requests for push notification records, expressing agreement with Senator Wyden's stance on the matter.

The spokesperson said that our company was the pioneer in publishing a public transparency report that discloses the quantity and nature of government requests for user data, including those mentioned by Senator Wyden. However, it remains undisclosed where we publish information regarding requests for push notification records or if there are any limitations in doing so.

The Department of Justice chose not to provide any comments on the matter.

According to NBC News.