"Apple has never worked with the NSA to create a backdoor in any of our products, including iPhone."

"Additionally, we have been unaware of this alleged NSA program targeting our products. We care deeply about our customers' privacy and security."

This is Apple's response to accusations that it is working with the National Security Agency to hack into iPhone users' personal information.

"Whenever we hear about attempts to undermine Apple's industry-leading security, we thoroughly investigate and take appropriate steps to protect our customers," the company said in its statement.

"We will continue to use our resources to stay ahead of malicious hackers and defend our customers from security attacks, regardless of who's behind them."

The accusation was made by tech security expert Jonathan Appelbaum during a security conference in Germany. Appelbaum said that NSA has a program called DROPOUTJEEP that allows the agency to track SMS messages, access contact lists, locate a phone using cell tower data, access voice mail or activate an iPhone's microphone and camera.

"I don't really believe that Apple didn't help them," Applebaum told his audience during the German event.

"I can't really prove it, but they literally claim that anytime they target an iOS device, that it will succeed for implementation."

Security researcher Graham Cluley said that Applebaum has opened up a lot of questions about the NSA. In his blog, he said that the case presents a "broader range of tools that the NSA apparently deploys against other technology companies and products, including HP (Hewlett-Packard) servers, Cisco firewalls, Huawei routers, and so on."

The US government has been receiving backlash for its spying programs that experts say deprive ordinary citizens of their right to privacy. Just last month, the White House ordered NSA to change its program's greater judicial oversight and public transparency in the collection of metadata after finding it 'unconstitutional.'