The Government may have hacked your iPhone

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Jay Gibson thought he was having a normal day. Then his iPhone delivered the kind of notification that instantly nukes any sense of calm: “Apple detected a targeted mercenary spyware attack against your iPhone.” 

Not a spam text. Not a password reset. A government-grade warning.

Gibson panicked, understandably, especially because of the irony. He used to work at companies that built spyware. 

You know, the kind sold to governments and quietly deployed against journalists, activists, and other people who suddenly stop sleeping well. 

He called his dad, powered down his phone like it was radioactive, and went out to buy a new one. “It was a huge mess,” he later told TechCrunch, which feels like an understatement.

Gibson isn’t alone. Tech giants like Apple, Google, and WhatsApp are increasingly alerting users when they believe someone, often a government using high-end spyware, is trying to spy on them. 

These warnings are typically linked to surveillance tools from companies like NSO Group, Intellexa, or Paragon Solutions.

Here’s the catch: after sounding the alarm, the tech companies back away. They’ll tell you something bad might be happening, then hand you a digital flashlight and wish you luck.

The first rule is simple: take the warning seriously. These companies have mountains of data and elite security teams. 

If they say you were targeted, it’s probably not a false positive. That doesn’t always mean you were successfully hacked. Sometimes an attack failed, but it doesn’t mean someone didn’t try.

From there, advice varies. Google nudges users toward stronger protections like hardware security keys and its Advanced Protection Program. 

Apple users are told to enable Lockdown Mode, a security bunker for your phone that Apple claims has yet to be cracked in the wild.

If paranoia sets in (it will), help exists. 

Groups like Access Now, Amnesty International, and The Citizen Lab help journalists, activists, and researchers investigate spyware cases, quietly, if needed. 

Others may turn to private firms like iVerify or independent experts.

The bad news? Modern spyware often erases itself after grabbing data, leaving little proof behind. 

The good news? You’re not helpless, and if your phone ever sends that notification, at least now you know the panic is normal. Stay safe out there.