White House Blames iPhone Autocomplete for Signal Leak

The Accidental Inclusion of a Journalist in a Sensitive Communication

The circumstances surrounding how Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was added to a Signal group chat involving former Trump administration officials remain a point of discussion.

Initial explanations centered on a simple error. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz suggested Goldberg’s number was inadvertently included due to a contact import issue within his phone.

Initial Claims and Scrutiny

Goldberg initially expressed skepticism regarding Waltz’s explanation, dismissing the idea as resembling a scenario from the film “The Matrix.”

However, a subsequent investigation revealed a more nuanced sequence of events.

The White House IT Investigation

An internal review undertaken by the White House’s IT department indicated that an iPhone’s auto-suggestion feature played a significant role in the incident.

The investigation found that after Goldberg contacted the White House seeking comment for a story, a Trump spokesperson, Brian Hughes, forwarded the email’s content to Waltz via text message.

How the Auto-Suggestion Worked

This action triggered an “contact suggestion update” on Waltz’s iPhone, which saved Goldberg’s phone number under Hughes’ contact information.

Subsequently, when Waltz attempted to add Hughes – who later became a spokesperson for the National Security Council – to the Signal chat, Goldberg was added instead.

Goldberg's Response

Goldberg has refrained from extensive commentary on the matter. He stated, “I’m not going to comment on my relationship with Mike Waltz beyond saying I do know him and have spoken to him.”

The incident highlights the potential security risks associated with communication technologies and the importance of verifying contact information before adding individuals to sensitive group chats.