The Surveillance Spectrum: Governments Gaining Access to Push Notifications

On April 5, 2024, it was brought to light that technology giants Apple and Google have admitted that governments can spy on citizens through the use of push notifications. This revelation came after U.S. Senator Ron Wyden appealed to the Department of Justice to lift restrictions on public discussion regarding the fact that the U.S. government, among others, requests access to push notifications from Google and Apple to surveil specific individuals.

Senator Wyden emphasized the necessity for Apple and Google to be permitted transparency about the legal demands they receive, particularly from foreign governments. He pointed out the principle that companies should inform users about government demands for data, a practice that should be consistent across all types of requests.

The capability of the government to access users' smartphone push notifications had not been officially recognized until Senator Wyden's open letter to the Justice Department, which automatically lifted the secrecy of the matter.

Consequently, Apple and Google confirmed that they indeed provide the authorities with metadata about push notifications via a court order. Notifications sent to devices based on iOS and Android respectively pass through the servers of these companies, through services known as Push Notification Service for Apple and Firebase Cloud Messaging for Google.

Apple representatives have told the resource 9to5Mac that they will now begin to include statistics about government requests for access to messages in their "transparency reports."

It's important to note that messages encrypted end-to-end, for instance through WhatsApp, do not reveal information since decryption occurs on the device rather than the push service providers' servers. However, even metadata such as notifications from food delivery or taxi services can reveal significant details about an individual, such as their residence address.

This development has sparked a broad discussion about privacy, security, and the extent of surveillance governments can exert through technology. As this situation unfolds, it underscores the ongoing tension between the need for security and the right to privacy in the digital age.