Apple, Google and Meta Roll Out 4 Spyware Defenses as Zero-Click Attacks Hit 90 WhatsApp Users
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · May 23
Apple, Google and Meta Roll Out 4 Spyware Defenses as Zero-Click Attacks Hit 90 WhatsApp Users
7 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · May 23
Apple, Google and Meta are pushing four opt-in protections—Apple Lockdown Mode, Google’s Advanced Protection Program, Android Advanced Protection Mode and WhatsApp Strict Account Settings—to blunt targeted spyware attacks.
The move follows fresh evidence that commercial spyware remains active: WhatsApp warned about 90 users in Europe in early 2025, and Apple later confirmed two journalists were hit by Paragon’s zero-click Graphite spyware.
Apple says it has never detected a successful compromise on a device with Lockdown Mode enabled, and Citizen Lab previously found the feature blocked an NSO Group Pegasus attack.
The tools harden devices by limiting risky functions such as unknown attachments, link previews, 2G connections, third-party app access and USB connections while locked, trading some convenience for security.
The broader backdrop is a 15-year pattern of governments using phone spyware against journalists, dissidents and rights defenders, leaving platform-level hardening as one of the few free defenses available.
What essential phone features must you sacrifice to activate defenses against elite government hackers?
Are tech giants becoming the new guardians of civil liberties against government-sanctioned spyware?
When governments use spyware for national security, who protects citizens from the state itself?
Inside the 2025 WhatsApp Zero-Click Attack and the Latest Mobile Spyware Defenses
Overview
As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, major tech companies like Apple, Google, and Meta have introduced advanced security features to protect high-risk users from zero-click attacks and state-sponsored surveillance. Apple’s Lockdown Mode, launched in 2022, is a prime example, transforming iPhones into ultra-hardened devices by restricting functionalities and targeting those most at risk, such as journalists and officials. These measures reflect a shift away from one-size-fits-all security, recognizing that stronger, tailored defenses are needed to counter increasingly cunning adversaries and minimize potential attack vectors.