Kremlin claims Apple helped NSA spy on diplomats via iPhone backdoor

Russian intelligence has accused American snoops and Apple of working together to backdoor iPhones to spy on "thousands" of diplomats worldwide. These allegations from the Kremlin's Federal Security Service (FSB) coincide with Kaspersky today saying it uncovered spyware on "several dozen" iPhones belonging to the Russian …

[jokerscrowbar]

The Suck

17% of everyone’s iPhone data use is ‘backdoor’ traffic not just the occupants of The Kremlin. The part that really sucks about that is that we pay to transmit the info they suck.

Compare how much data your phone admits to using with the amount your provider charges you for each month.

[CowHorseFrog]

Re: The Suck

Which is why advertising should be MADE illegal. Third party advertising aka third party cookies should be deemed a violation of human rights by the UN. Its no different from a stalker tracking an individual in the real world.

[CowHorseFrog]

The funny thing is, the Vlad of today must be shitting himself even more than the picture. He knows whats coming to him its only a matter of time.

Its a pity that Russia always seems to be led by total arseholes, i guess thats why the Kremlin has those massive walls, because everybody loves their leader.

[simonlb]

the Vlad of today must be shitting himself even more than the picture

Well from some reports he does seem to have an issue getting up and down flights of stairs and experiences an occasional 'soiling' issue when that occurs.

[beardman]

Why does Kremlin care about this?

The Western phones have been banned in that failed country shortly after their invasion to Ukraine and sanctions. Of course, some continue to use them and even buy new ones. E.g. the horse-head of ministry of foreign affairs carried iPhone 14 in the last summit in Bali. Double standards and hypocrisy - long standing standard in Хуйлостан.

[Casca]

Re: Why does Kremlin care about this?

Well, the "elite" in russia cant live without western electronics so...

[mpi]

Guess how much I trust anything the russian state says.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_abductions_in_the_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine

https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-identify-nearly-14000-children-abducted-deported-russia-1774522

https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/world-news/russia/959801/ukraines-children-abducted-and-re-educated-by-russia

https://apnews.com/article/ukrainian-children-russia-7493cb22c9086c6293c1ac7986d85ef6

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/12/27/russia-genocide-ukraine-children/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucha_massacre

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_crimes_in_the_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine

https://www.csce.gov/international-impact/events/russian-war-crimes-ukraine

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/10/1138710652/russian-war-crimes-ukraine-investigation

[Pascal Monett]

"Russian intelligence"

I stopped reading there.

[IGotOut]

Of course...

...it could be that Kaspersky spotted FSB spyware used to keep an eye on potential internal dissidents, and now the FSB have to blame someone else.

[Roland6]

Re: Of course...

In sone respects it doesn’t matter whose spyware it is, we know the US has form - Angela Merkel’s phone. Also the US has been quick to make similar claims about Chinese phones and 5G hardware…

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Of course...

The issue with "technology" and the internet, is that data mining is BIG business and hence any way of collecting data means it can be monetised.

And given that Apple have pushed the iPhone into peoples way of life, and the same with Google and Android, has meant that these two companies alone are sucking up data left, right and centre.

And the claims that the Chinese company Huawei are doing the same thing should be no surprise to any one.

The trouble is that the US has allowed Apple/Google to do this and there is no significant alternative (whereas in the past Microsoft were forced to make Internet Explorer as option with early versions of Windows).

(Even "open source" bloat-free versions of Android cannot be easily installed, and even the CyanogenMod OS is now dead leaving just LineageOS, and assuming your mobile is supported).

And many mobiles are "locked" by phone providers, preventing any way of un-installing certain apps, which may be running in the background.

[John Brown (no body)]

WRT Apple and El Reg...

...it was fun reading those old stories linked in the article, especially Kierens email exchanges. I do note the the legally required "apology" by Apple on their website is long gone though. Not even a holding page. Just The page you’re looking for can’t be found.. I bet there was a time period specified by the judge on how long it had to be there and it was gone, to the second, as soon as they could legally delete it :-)

As a side note, if everyone reading this comment could please click the link above, it might be fun to mess with Apple and have some Apple analytics person too new to understand why suddenly see a spike for that now empty page and have to go around asking people why the page exists only as a "Not Found" message :-)

[-v(o.o)v-]

Re: WRT Apple and El Reg...

Good stuff, reminds me of a funnier time. KM's were always pure gold.