Pegasus spyware: Government says allegations of spyware use are false claims
New Delhi:
Sources told NDTV that the government would not shy away from making a strong defense in the Pegasus spyware scam. News website The Wire reported that the phone numbers of Indian journalists were on the hacking list of an unidentified agency using Pegasus software created by Israeli firm NSO Group. The Center has stuck to its earlier position that there was “no unauthorized interception”.
“We have nothing to fear and the government has nothing to hide. We will answer any question. The news article proves nothing. In fact, previous attempts to link Pegasus to the government failed A source in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) told NDTV.
The NSO Group in its “Transparency and Accountability Report 2021” states that its products are “designed for the sole use of fully verified and approved government agencies charged with maintaining public safety and security.” It says, “…we license Pegasus to only approved, verified and authorized states and select state agencies, exclusively for use in national security and major law enforcement-driven investigations.”
Responding to a media questionnaire, MeitY said that in the past, similar claims were made regarding the use of the software by the Indian government. “Those reports also had no factual basis and were categorically denied by all parties, including WhatsApp, in the Supreme Court. Thus, this news report also appears to be a similar fishing campaign, which is a reflection of Indian democracy and its institutions. ,” the government said in the statement.
MeitY said in the statement that India is a strong democracy which is committed to ensure the right to privacy as a fundamental right. “However, the questionnaire sent to the government indicates that the story being fabricated is not only devoid of facts but also founded in pre-conceived conclusions. It seems that you are trying to play the role of an investigator, prosecutor. are jury,” the statement added.
The ministry also detailed the process through which “lawful interception of electronic communications for the purpose of national security is carried out, especially on the occurrence of any public emergency or in the interest of public safety, by agencies of the Center and states”. .
“Requests for these lawful interception of electronic communications are made in accordance with the relevant rules under the provisions of section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and section 69 of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2000. In each case of interception, Monitoring, and decryption is approved by the Competent Authority i.e. the Union Home Secretary, adding that these powers are also available to the Competent Authority in the State Governments, in the form of a Review Committee headed by the Union Cabinet Secretary. There is an established oversight mechanism,” it said.
In late 2019, WhatsApp filed a lawsuit in a US court, accusing Israeli surveillance firm NSO of helping government spies access the phones of nearly 1,400 users across four continents.
Following reports of journalists and activists being targeted in India, the then Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the Rajya Sabha that “there was no unauthorized interception”.
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