Recently, The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, disclosed that he was accidentally included in a government group chat containing sensitive war plans. The inclusion was orchestrated by US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who later attributed the mishap to his phone “sucking in” the number. A new report by The Guardian provides insight into how an iOS feature was instrumental in this incident.
Hugo Lowell reports for The Guardian:
Sources briefed on the internal investigation stated that Goldberg had corresponded with the campaign regarding a story that criticized Trump’s stance on injured service members. In response to the story, the campaign enlisted Waltz to assist.
Goldberg’s email was forwarded to Brian Hughes, then Trump’s spokesperson, who copied and pasted the email content—including Goldberg’s phone number in the signature—into a text message intended for Waltz as a briefing on the upcoming story.
While Waltz did not call Goldberg afterward, he unwittingly saved Goldberg’s contact information in his iPhone, associating it with Hughes’ contact card, who currently serves as the spokesperson for the National Security Council.
Undoubtedly, a series of unfortunate events culminated in this significant oversight.
The act of copying and pasting an email from another individual led to the iPhone’s Contacts feature making a suggestion based on incorrect information.
Unfortunately, Waltz accepted the suggestion, which was directed to the wrong individual.
As stated by the White House, the phone erroneously saved the number due to a “contact suggestion update” initiated by Waltz’s iPhone, a feature in which the iPhone’s algorithm adds a new number to an existing contact it thinks is relevant.
This error went unnoticed until last month when Waltz attempted to add Hughes to a Signal chat group. Instead, he inadvertently included Goldberg’s number in a March 13 message thread entitled “Houthi PC small group,” which involved senior US officials deliberating on strike strategies against the Houthis.
DMN’s Perspective
The reporting from The Guardian effectively clarifies how such an astonishing incident could transpire.
It’s evident that at various stages of the process, the individuals involved should have recognized the error, especially when discussing confidential matters.
Overall, this explanation shifts the situation from one of sheer disbelief—“How could this happen?”—to a place of understanding: “What a disaster…but it makes sense now.”
The iPhone’s Contacts suggestion feature has undoubtedly served millions of users well over the years. However, as we advance into a new era of AI computing, it may be time for Apple to enhance it with some upgraded intelligence.
What are your thoughts on this clarification regarding The Atlantic’s group chat incident? Share your views in the comments.
