Making a separate, 'researcher-friendly' device that is easier to own "without having to bypass its security features" on the surface seems so incredibly in line with Apple's general ethic yet so counter-productive in this particular context...
You're right. Main political opposition in India was affected with Pegasus and it is part of this program. I think this has more to do with the level of Apple's presence in a country/jurisdiction and their ability to retrieve the device back in case of misuse.
I find it funny that most of the true cyber powers are left off the list but India is considered to be “safe choice”. India may be poor but it is hardly lacking in engineering prowess. Apple’s own employees are a testament to that.
Right, but we aren't talking about private citizens but nation state actors with an interest in cyberwar capabilities. USA is probably near the top of that list.
It's kind of a lost cause when the government could just directly compromise Apple itself though? Maybe they are also fine with helping their own country's cyberwar abilities.
