On Wednesday, Apple issued warning messages to at least six Thai activists and researchers who have been critical of the government, warning that it believes its iPhone handsets have been targeted. targeted by “state-sponsored attackers”, according to activists and warnings reviewed by Reuters.
Apple and Thailand’s Ministry of Digital did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Prajak Kongkirati, a political scientist at Thammasat University in Bangkok, said he received two emails from Apple warning that they believe he Iphone and icloud account was targeted, along with a “threat notice” on his Apple account.
Researcher Sarinee Achananuntakul and Thai activist Yingcheep Atchanont of the Legal Oversight group iLaw said they received similar emails, while a rapper, a political activist and a politician protested against the government. The government has separately posted screenshots of the same email on their social media accounts.
All were seen as critical of the Thai government.
The messages warn “if your device is compromised by a state-sponsored attacker, they can remotely access sensitive data, communications, or even your camera and microphone. .”
Apple on Tuesday File a lawsuit against Israeli cyber company NSO group and parent company OSY Technologies for allegedly monitoring and targeting US Apple users with Pegasus spyware.
In a statement on Tuesday, Apple said that the NSO team created “state-sponsored surveillance technology” aimed at “a very small number of users”.
It was not immediately clear in Apple’s warnings on Wednesday whether the company believed Thais were being targeted by Pegasus.
Internet security monitoring group Citizen Lab identified in 2018 a Pegasus spyware operator operating in Thailand.
The Thai government is still led by the architects of the 2014 coup, who remained in power after a 2019 election that their opponents said had benefited the military.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who led the coup, has denied the claims, but has faced months of anti-government protests.
Besides calls for greater democracy, the government has also been criticized for its management Coronavirus pandemic and the economy.
© Thomson Reuters 2021
