People Are Getting An Eerie Apple Alert By Text And Email. It’s A Real Warning You Shouldn't Ignore.

Apple has confirmed sending 'mercenary spyware' threat notifications to targeted users, with alerts going out August 13 to people in 110 countries and, to date, over 150 countries total. Apple would not say how many U.S. users were affected or what specifically triggers the alerts, stating only that revealing its detection methods could help attackers evade them.

The company recommends enabling Lockdown Mode, which blocks most attachments and link previews, filters unknown FaceTime calls, and strips location data from shared photos, at the cost of convenience. A security researcher with the Electronic Frontier Foundation said recipients should take the alerts seriously, and the piece notes a case in which a journalist's Lockdown-Mode-enabled phone reportedly could not be accessed after being seized by federal agents.

Apple has sent these notifications since 2021, but declines to disclose which governments or actors are behind the attacks it detects.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.