Pegasus row: Country having spyware for security not wrong, says SC
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said a country possessing spyware for security purposes is not wrong but using it against a civil society person will be looked into.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said a country possessing spyware for security purposes is not wrong but using it against a civil society person will be looked into.
The fear of Pegasus-style spyware attack resurfaced on Tuesday after researchers at Microsoft and the digital rights group Citizen Lab identified new victims in North America, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East -- once again from an Israel-based spyware maker.
Tewari said, "A report in the Financial Times dated 31st March 2023 reveals that the Indian Government is in the market for new spyware.
Chief Justice N.V. Ramana read the report of the committee in the open court on Thursday.
Responding to a query if the Indian government will contact them, he said that he has no idea whether the Indian government has contacted them or not.
"We certainly have to look anew at this whole subject of licenses granted by DECA [Israel's Defence Exports Control Agency]. When they finish their review, we'll demand to see the results and assess whether we need to make corrections,"
Modi and the then Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were pictured during the trip, walking barefoot together on a beach. Days before, Indian targets had started being selected, The Guardian said.
The explanation comes after the Union government on Thursday asked WhatsApp for a report on allegations of breach of security.
WhatsApp users in the US, UAE, Bahrain, Mexico and Pakistan too were targeted.
The spyware was allegedly developed by the Israeli cyber intelligence company NSO Group, according to reports.
