Security News > 2024 > March > Surveillance through Push Notifications

The Washington Post is reporting on the FBI's increasing use of push notification data-"Push tokens"-to identify people.

The police can request this data from companies like Apple and Google without a warrant.

Court orders that were issued in 2019 to Apple and Google demanded that the companies hand over information on accounts identified by push tokens linked to alleged supporters of the Islamic State terrorist group.

The practice was not widely understood until December, when Sen. Ron Wyden, in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, said an investigation had revealed that the Justice Department had prohibited Apple and Google from discussing the technique.

Many apps offer push-alert functionality because it gives users a fast, battery-saving way to stay updated, and few users think twice before turning them on.

Those tokens are then saved on Apple's and Google's servers, out of the users' reach.

News URL

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2024/03/surveillance-through-push-notifications.html