Apple has warned German politicians including Bundestag members and federal ministers that their iPhones may have been targeted by sophisticated spyware. The alerts, sent directly to devices on October 29, 2026, follow a broader wave of notifications to 110 countries in August 2026.
Karsten Wildberger, Germany's digital minister, confirmed the "high-confidence alerts" from Apple and said the company "reacted super quickly." Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has advised affected officials to presume their phones are compromised as a precaution, though Apple's alerts don't confirm successful attacks.
Apple's threat notifications target "mercenary spyware attacks" far more sophisticated than ordinary cybercrime. Since 2021, users in over 150 countries have received such warnings via lock screen, Settings, email, and Apple ID banner. Neither Apple nor BSI has disclosed how many officials were alerted or who is behind the attacks.
The incident recalls 2021 tensions when the Bundestag criticized Apple's privacy stance while Germany's government admitted using Pegasus spyware itself. Apple recommends responses including enabling Lockdown Mode for at-risk users.
Source: AppleInsider · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing