Governments around the world, including allies of the United States, have been secretly surveilling smartphone users by exploiting push notifications from popular apps, according to information revealed this week by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden.
In a letter sent Wednesday to the Department of Justice, Senator Wyden warned that unidentified foreign governments have been demanding metadata related to app push notifications from tech giants Apple and Google in order to reveal private information about smartphone owners.
Push notifications, the audible “dings” or on-screen messages smartphone users receive from apps like email, messaging, and social media apps, provide insights into real-time app usage and activity. By obtaining metadata on push notification traffic from Apple and Google, who transmit notifications via their servers, government agencies can potentially identify anonymous app users and tie activity back to specific Apple and Google accounts and devices.
According to a recent Reuters report, sources familiar with the surveillance say that while details remain unclear, both foreign democracies allied with the U.S., as well as domestic agencies, have made requests for push notification metadata, likely to aid criminal or intelligence investigations by connecting online activities to real-world identities.
In his letter, Senator Wyden admonished the DOJ for hindering public knowledge of this surveillance method, which relies on the fact that most smartphone owners are unaware of how integrally involved Apple and Google are in transmitting app notifications. In response, Apple claimed they had been explicitly barred from publicly discussing demands for push notification data until now.
Both Apple and Google stated they are committed to keeping users informed going forward. However, the prevalence of apps using push notifications, from email and messaging to sports and breaking news, means a wide swath of smartphone activity worldwide may have already been caught up in surveillance efforts.
While the scale, duration, and details of the surveillance are still emerging, Senator Wyden’s revelations confirm that governments worldwide are actively exploiting common smartphone functions like notifications to secretly spy on mobile device owners without their knowledge or consent.
