Apple has alerted German ministers that their iPhones may have been targeted in a spyware attack. It's not clear who is doing the attacking.

Following a wave of spyware alerts from Apple to 110 countries in August 2026, the company has reportedly now warned members of Germany's Bundestag and other federal departments. The alert went directly to the iPhones of those believed to be affected, according to Euronews.

Karsten Wildberger, Germany's digital minister, told press that there had been "a notification from Apple that certain devices may have been compromised with so-called spyware." The first alerts were received on October 29, 2026, and Wildberger says he believes that Apple "reacted super quickly."

But it isn't known how long it took Apple to spot the spyware attempt. What is known is that as a consequence, Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (Bundesamt fur Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik or BSI) has told politicians to presume their phones have been compromised.

This is a precautionary move because Apple's alerts do not confirm that such attacks have succeeded. Wildberger has not disclosed what specific action has been taken, but Apple recommends a range of responses including using Lockdown Mode.

Neither the BSI nor Apple has commented on how many politicians and federal staff were alerted. Nor have they disclosed whether it's known who is behind the attacks.

How Apple's alerts work

Naturally, Apple does not detail how it determines the existence of an attack. But its support document on the topic does specify that it concerns "mercenary spyware attacks" that are "vastly more sophisticated than regular cybercriminal activity."

Apple cautions that it cannot "achieve absolute certainty" about an attack, but says it issues "high-confidence alerts." Such attacks are always targeted at individuals, according to Apple, and it says that since 2021, users in over 150 countries have been alerted.

If Apple has reason to believe someone has been targeted, a threat notification is sent to their iPhone's lock screen and also displayed in Settings. They are also emailed and a threat notification banner is displayed if they sign in to their Apple ID online.

Separately, in 2021, when Apple began sending such alerts, Germany's Bundestag criticized the company over its privacy and security stance. Although this was revealed at the same time that Germany's government admitted that it used Pegasus spyware itself.