In a recent letter to the Department of Justice, US Senator Ron Wyden raises concerns about how big tech uses push notifications for government surveillance. Wyden’s letter alleges that foreign governments have been demanding data from Google and Apple related to push notifications, which could be used to track individuals’ movements and activities.
While the details of the letter are sparse, it sheds light on a new avenue for government surveillance that has gone largely unnoticed by the public. Push notifications are a popular feature on modern smartphones, used by apps to deliver alerts and recent updates to users. However, many users may not be aware that these notifications are often routed through the servers of big tech companies.
Senator Wyden’s letter claims that this gives the two technology companies “a unique position to facilitate government surveillance of how users are using particular apps.” He further calls on the Department of Justice to repeal or modify any policies that hinder public discussions of push notification spying.
In response to Wyden’s letter, both Apple and Google have stated their commitment to user privacy and transparency. Apple noted that they were previously forbidden from sharing information about government surveillance due to federal restrictions. However, they have committed to updating their transparency reports to include details of such requests in the future. Google, on the other hand, defended Apple’s sentiment and highlighted their commitment to keeping users informed about government requests for their data.
While the Department of Justice has refused to comment on the matter, the disclosure of push notifications like recent news,alerts and emails surveillance raises significant concerns about government access to personal data. The source of Wyden’s information remains unclear, but a separate source familiar with the matter confirmed that both US and foreign governments have been requesting push notification data from Apple and Google.
This data can be used to connect anonymous users of messaging apps to specific accounts, potentially causing invasion of privacy and anonymity. While the source declined to identify the specific foreign governments involved, they described them as democracies allied with the United States.