France says Apple notified victims of new spyware attacks

Apple has informed several individuals that their devices were potentially compromised in a recent spyware operation, as reported by the French government. On Thursday, France's national cybersecurity response unit revealed that on September 3, Apple sent notifications to customers whose devices might have been affected. The cybersecurity unit explained that receiving such a notification indicates that at least one device associated with a customer's iCloud account could be at risk of being compromised. However, it remains unclear how many individuals, particularly in France, received this warning, the specific type of spyware involved, or the timeline of these intrusions. An Apple representative has yet to respond to inquiries from TechCrunch regarding the matter. The company routinely alerts individuals whose devices may have been targeted and encourages them to seek assistance from Access Now’s digital security lab. Recently, Apple has issued similar warnings to users in countries including Iran, various European nations, India, and many others regarding threats from mercenary spyware. Notably, French President Emmanuel Macron made headlines in 2021 when he opted to switch phones after his device was reportedly compromised by NSO Group's Pegasus spyware.