The Central Special Communications Department of the Russian Federation Security Bureau has revealed U.S. IT companies allegedly involved in developing eavesdropping software, with Cloudflare and Fastly—two Apple software service providers—among those named!
The Central Special Communications Department of the Russian Federation Security Bureau released a video showing office premises of several multinational IT companies suspected of developing surveillance programs targeting communications of Russian officials.
Footage in the video features offices of Cloudflare and Fastly in San Francisco and London, as well as a high-rise building in New York. Cloudflare provides cloud services covering website security protection, loading acceleration, stable operation assurance, and DDoS attack defense. Fastly also operates in the cloud services sector.
I took the time to investigate these two companies further, and it turns out they primarily provide backend support for Apple’s official systems and offer independent app services for general users.
Fastly: When an iPhone user activates iCloud + subscription, Safari browser automatically enables privacy protection. It uses a two-stage proxy system: Apple first encrypts the domain name → Fastly then acts as the second-stage relay, hiding the user’s real IP address; websites cannot access the user’s local IP or browsing history. • Fastly handles the second-hop gateway (Private Gateway), paired with QUIC/HTTP3 encryption protocols, balancing privacy and access speed. Cloudflare and Akamai are also co-partners in this project. • Scope of effect: Native Safari browser on iPhone and system-integrated network applications.
Cloudflare: A co-partner with Fastly in Apple’s ecosystem, handling part of the second-stage traffic forwarding for iCloud + Privacy Relay, serving as a foundational provider for native privacy features on iPhone systems.
Fastly: Does not offer standalone apps for individual users; exclusively engaged in Apple’s official underlying collaborations (iCloud Private Relay + Apple CDN). The functionality is pre-installed on iPhones and unlocked via iCloud subscription or paid plans.
Cloudflare: Operates dual business lines—one providing infrastructure-level support for iCloud relay; the other offering independent apps available for free download by regular iPhone users, enabling DNS and full-traffic encryption.
The Central Special Communications Department of the Russian Federation Security Bureau warns that foreign intelligence agencies have reportedly infiltrated Russian officials’ smartphones through spyware associated with these two companies, capable of stealing existing data, eavesdropping on calls, and accessing sensitive information.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866882791265287/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.