The cybersecurity department of India is currently looking into allegations of mobile phone hacking made by prominent members of the opposition party. These politicians have stated that they received warning messages from Apple, according to Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

According to Vaishnaw, who was quoted in the Indian Express newspaper on Thursday, the computer emergency response team known as CERT-In, located in New Delhi, has initiated an investigation. He also stated that Apple has acknowledged receiving the notification for the investigation.

According to a political aide for Vaishnaw and two officials from the federal home ministry, all of the concerns brought up by politicians regarding cyber security are currently being examined.

Apple has not yet responded to the investigation.

This week, Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition in India, claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration attempted to access the mobile phones of opposition politicians. This accusation came after screenshots were shared on social media by lawmakers, showing a notification from Apple stating: “Apple has reason to believe that your iPhone is being targeted by state-sponsored attackers who are attempting to remotely access your Apple ID.”

A high-ranking official from Modi’s administration also confirmed receiving the notification on his mobile device.

According to Apple, they do not believe that the threat notifications came from a particular state-sponsored attacker. They also mentioned that there is a chance that some of the threat notifications from Apple may be incorrect, or that certain attacks may go undetected.

In 2021, there were reports of the Indian government utilizing Israeli-developed Pegasus spyware to monitor numerous journalists, activists, and politicians, including Gandhi.

The government has chosen not to respond to inquiries regarding the potential purchase of Pegasus spyware by India or any of its state organizations for surveillance purposes.