On 31st October, several MPs, politicians, and other prominent persons claimed to have received an alert from Apple suggesting that ‘state-sponsored threat actors’ might have been trying to access their phones. The generic warning quickly turned into a political outrage where the opposition blamed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party for trying a so-called cyber attack on their Apple devices, including iPhones.
Notably, Apple itself on its website states that these alerts regarding the so-called “state-sponsored threats” to their users’ devices are not reliable.
It has now come to light that the security threat messages were from a Soros-linked NGO named Access Now. Notably, the screenshots of the message shared on social media mentioned that those who received the warning message could contact the 24×7 helpline of Access Now.
Received from an Apple ID, [email protected], which I have verified. Authenticity confirmed. Glad to keep underemployed officials busy at the expenses of taxpayers like me! Nothing more important to do?@PMOIndia @INCIndia @kharge @RahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/5zyuoFmaIa
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 31, 2023
The message read, “Enlist expert help such as the rapid-response emergency security assistance provided by the Digital Security Helpline at the nonprofit Access Now. If you are an activist, independent journalist, or non-profit worker – you can contact them 24 hours a day, seven days a week through their website*: accessnow.org/help.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, Sanjeev Sanyal, pointed out the connection. He wrote, “Very curious indeed. The security threat messages being received by some prominent Apple users is not quite from Apple but from a Soros-linked NGO called http://accessnow.org. How is this external agency able to send such authentic-looking messages through the system??”
Very curious indeed. The security threat messages being received by some prominent Apple users is not quite from Apple but from a Soros-linked NGO called https://t.co/6Lc3ZlnxTQ. How is this external agency able to send such authentic looking messages though the system??
— Sanjeev Sanyal (@sanjeevsanyal) November 1, 2023
What is Access Now?
Access Now is a non-governmental organisation that claims to defend digital civil rights. It operates on a multifaceted mission with primary areas of focus on shaping policy guidelines that respect human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The group offers advocacy campaigns to promote these policies in governmental and corporate arenas. Apart from the policy and advocacy, it claims to provide vital technical support to those facing online risks. The NGO claims that their support ensures that the communication remains open, free and secure. They have a Digital Security Helpline available around the clock and offers technical guidance and incident response to many individuals and organisations, including journalists, activists, human rights defenders and civil society actors.
Access Now claims that it addresses five key issues with online security, which include business and human rights, digital security, freedom of expression, net discrimination, and privacy. The organisation has offices in New York, Washington DC, Brussels, San Jose, Manila, and Tunis.
Access Now funding raises serious questions about its neutrality
Notably, Access Now is funded by several organisations, including George Soros’ Open Society Foundations. On the “Funding” page of the website Access Now, it is mentioned that OSF has donated USD 700,000 to the NGO in 2023 itself. Furthermore, In December 2022, the organisation received USD 140,815 in December 2022, USD 350,000 in July 2022, USD 298,112 in June 2022, USD 400,000 in December 2021, USD 700,000 in September 2021, USD 250,000 in July 2021, USD 145,000 in March 2021, USD 145,000 in November 2020, USD 200,000 in August 2020, USD 87,500 in July 2019, USD and 87,500 in May 2019. That means, the organisation has received USD 3,503,927 or over 3.5 million USD from George Soros’ OSF in less than five years.
Apart from OSF, Ford Foundation has donated USD 775,000 in 2023, USD 350,000 in 2022, USD 350,000 in 2021, USD 100,000 in 2020, USD 75,000 in 2019 and USD 25,000 in 2018. In short, in the past five years, the Ford Foundation has donated USD 1,775,000 or 1.7 million USD to the organisation.
The program is also funded by several government departments, including The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Global Affairs Canada, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the German Federal Foreign Office, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and more. Notably, SIDA was the largest donor in 2023, with a donation of over 2.4 million in July 2023. Large tech companies like Meta, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Yahoo, and others are among the donors.
OSF and Ford Foundation are known for funding anti-India elements.
Access Now targetted India for internet shutdowns
An X user who goes by the handle I_am_the_Story wrote a detailed thread on Access Now, and its links to anti-India reporting. In February 2023, The Wire published a report, “India Remains Internet Shutdown Capital”. It was based on the data compiled by Access Now and the KeepItOn coalition. Similar reports were published by several other Western publications based on the same research.
1. 1. In Feb 2023 anti-Indian online portal "The Wire" published a report "India Remains Internet Shutdown Capital ". #India #InternetShutDown #USA #Soros #Modi4PM2024 pic.twitter.com/NEU4wN8dmr
— The Story Teller (@I_am_the_Story) October 31, 2023
KeepItOn Coalition is hosted by Access Now. It was started in 2016 as a campaign against Internet shutdowns. There are 220 members in to coalition as of now. Furthermore, Access Now has a Shutdown Tracker Optimization Project (STOP) that records the instances of shutdowns and identifies the possible emerging challenges. Interestingly, in 2016, the UN passed a resolution on the Promotion, protection, and enjoyment of human rights on the internet, condemning internet shutdowns and urging states to refrain from ordering such measures.
According to the Wire’s report based on Access Now and KeepItOn data, India had 84 internet shutdowns in 2022, the highest worldwide. The report suggested that the shutdowns were used for various reasons and had significant consequences for digital communication and democratic movements. The #KeepItOn campaign identified India as the primary offender, responsible for 58% of documented shutdowns. The report further noted that the legal challenges against shutdowns persist due to a lack of transparency from the central government.
India’s high number of internet shutdowns in 2022 has been scrutinised, but it’s essential to view this fact from a nuanced perspective. As the world’s most populous and diverse nation, India faces multifaceted challenges, ranging from regional unrest to national security threats, communal clashes, riots, and terrorism-related issues.
Though the number of shutdowns was high, it is worth noting that it decreased over the years. It shows that the government is working to reduce reliance on such measures and has been responsive to the concerns raised by the concerned parties and the Supreme Court. This shows that the government is committed to enhancing transparency and upholding freedom of expression.
CPI(M)’s General Secretary’s wife is Access Now’s board Member
Another point that needs to be discussed here is that the wife of General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Sitaram Yechury, Seema Chishti, is a board member of Access Now. Chishti is also an editor at The Wire and joined the publication in January 2023.
Access Now’s profile page of Chishti describes her as a highly experienced multimedia journalist with over 30 years of experience in print, radio, and television. The profile pointed out that she has worked with BBC, HTV and The Indian Express, covering an array of news on topics including cultural change, minority communities, youth, and India’s major political developments.
Interestingly, Seema Chishti’s husband Sitaram Yechury was one of the politicians who claimed to have received the alert message that mentioned Access Now.
In February 2023, Chishti sent a legal notice to The Organiser’s editor, Vijay Patel, and Twitter for exposing her connections with a foreign-funded NGO allegedly involved in a hitjob against businessman Gautam Adani. An article titled ‘Decoding the hit job by Hindenberg against Adani Group‘ was published in The Organiser on its website on 4th February 2023. Also, Vijay Patel – the founder of fact-checking website ‘Only Fact India’ – wrote a thread on 2nd February 2023, exposing the connections between the torchbearers of the anti-Adani propaganda campaign and foreign-funded NGOs. Seema Chishti has also made Twitter an answerable party for publishing the thread by Patel.
Geroge Soros wants to topple democratically elected Modi government in India
In February 2023, George Soros inadvertently revealed what we have known for a long time – that the billionaire is eyeing a ‘colour revolution’ in India. The term ‘colour revolutions’ originated from a series of popular uprisings in the early 2000s in Eastern Europe following the fall of communism.
It has since been used to describe similar movements in the Middle East and Asia. The protests often involve mass demonstrations disguised under calls for free and fair elections or for the removal of authoritarian leaders. These types of uprisings have been criticised as foreign-instigated attempts to destabilise regimes for the benefit of Western powers.
George Soros and his vicious ecosystem of NGOs, activists and journalists had been trying to prove PM Modi as an ‘electoral autocrat’ who needed to be ousted for this country’s ‘greater good’. And it has been a work in progress for a long time. Even though India holds regular elections at the state and central level and no party has so far been able to prove any kind of election rigging, Soros and his network of Leftists propagate the narrative that the Modi government in India is ‘fascist’, and autocratic, and hence needs to be ousted.
The Hungarian-American billionaire has several intellectuals on his payroll, including the former PM Manmohan Singh’s daughter Amrita Singh. Not to forget the curious case of ‘author’ and ‘social activist’ Harsh Mander, who had been at the forefront of creating civil unrest during the Anti-CAA protests.
In 2018, George Soros-funded NGO Sherpa attempted to thwart India’s defence deal with France and stall the delivery of Rafale fighter jets.
Moreover, Open Society Foundations (OSF) run by the billionaire had funded the Socio-Legal Information Centre (SLIC), which had been active in seeking the repeal of the sedition law currently used against anti-India elements.
