"Half Facts": Rajeev Chandrasekhar On Washington Post Report Accusing Indian Government Of Targeting Apple Over iPhone Hacking Alert

Union Minister of State for Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, has strongly countered a recent report by The Washington Post, dismissing it as "terrible" and "tiresome."

The report claimed that the Indian government targeted Apple after the company warned certain individuals, including independent journalists and opposition politicians, of potential iPhone hacking attempts by government hackers.

Chandrasekhar took to social media to express his rebuttal, stating, "Rebutting @washingtonpost's terrible storytelling is tiresome, but someone has to do it. This story is half facts, fully embellished."

The Minister raised concerns about the incomplete narrative presented in the report and highlighted Apple's response, which came on 31 October, the day of the threat notifications.

He quoted Apple's statement, explaining that the company does not attribute threat notifications to specific state-sponsored attackers, as these attacks are sophisticated and evolve over time.

Chandrasekhar mentioned that Apple was invited to join the inquiry with the Indian computer emergency response team or the CERT-IN, emphasising that the investigation is ongoing.

The Minister concluded by characterising the report as "creative imagination and click-baiting at work masquerading as journalism."