Saturday, May 21, 2022
  • Hyderabad
  • Telangana
  • Andhra Pradesh
  • India
  • World
  • Entertainment
  • Science and Tech
  • Sport
  • Business
  • ...
    • NRI
    • View Point
    • cartoon
    • Columns
    • Reviews
    • Education Today
    • Property
    • Videos
    • Lifestyle
E-Paper
  • NRI
  • View Point
  • cartoon
  • Columns
  • Reviews
  • Education Today
  • Property
  • Videos
  • Lifestyle
Home | Editorials | Editorial Come Clean On Pegasus

Editorial: Come clean on Pegasus

By Telangana Today
Published: Published Date - 12:00 AM, Mon - 31 January 22
The latest revelations raise disturbing questions over the conduct of government agencies in the entire episode The latest revelations raise disturbing questions over the conduct of government agencies in the entire episode

The NDA government owes an explanation to the people on the latest media revelations that it had acquired Pegasus spyware from an Israeli company to snoop on political rivals. A fresh political storm has hit the government following the damning expose by ‘The New York Times’ daily which reported that Pegasus and a missile system were the ‘centerpieces’ of a $2-billion deal of sophisticated weapons and intelligence tools firmed up in 2017 during Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel, the first by any Indian Prime Minister. The latest revelations raise disturbing questions over the conduct of government agencies in the entire episode. On the floor of Parliament last year, the Defence Ministry had categorically stated that it had not made any transaction with the NSO Group, the Israeli developer which has claimed that it sells its products only to government agencies. The ‘NYT’ investigative report, which comes ahead of the crucial Budget session, is expected to provide much ammunition to the opposition parties. Last year, an investigation by a global consortium of media outlets showed how the Israeli-made malicious spyware was used by governments around the world to spy on dissidents, political rivals, activists and journalists via their mobile phones. More than 1,000 phone numbers in India were among the nearly 50,000 selected worldwide as possibly of interest to clients of the NSO Group. The Pegasus matter is currently being monitored by a technical committee, comprising experts in computer science, cybersecurity and digital forensics, appointed by the Supreme Court.

Overruling virtually every argument made by the Centre, the apex court had said privacy is not the singular concern of journalists or social activists but of every citizen. Pegasus, the phone hacking software, can switch on a target’s phone camera and microphone, as well as access data on the device, effectively turning the phone into a pocket spy. There is a need for a thorough and impartial probe to get to the bottom of the truth on who ordered the purchase of this cyber weapon, how were the targets selected and who got the surveillance reports. Companies such as NSO operate in a market that is almost entirely unregulated, enabling tools that can be used by authoritarian regimes as instruments of repression. If true, the reports of spying on political leaders, judiciary, media, members of Election Commission and Supreme Court amount to subversion of democracy and flagrant violation of the rule of law and the fundamental right of citizens to privacy. What is more disconcerting is that India does not even have a law for the protection of data privacy. Instead of trying to gloss over the seriousness of the latest media expose, the government must undertake surveillance reforms to protect citizens from illegal hacking and stop using spyware in policing and security.


Now you can get handpicked stories from Telangana Today on Telegram everyday. Click the link to subscribe.

Click to follow Telangana Today Facebook page and Twitter .


  • Follow Us :
  • Tags
  • Editorial
  • Israeli
  • Narendra Modi
  • NDA government

Related News

  • Editorial: Fillip to federal spirit

  • 29 phones examined, SC-appointed panel to submit Pegasus probe report by May end

  • Editorial: Go beyond optics

  • First Haj flight on May 31; No Air India flights this year

  • Centre lacks foresight concerning farming sector: Niranjan Reddy

  • BJP plans to conduct booth committees meeting by inviting PM

Latest News

  • War of words breaks out between Congress, TRS activists in Karimnagar

    8 mins ago
  • India supplies another 40,000 metric tonnes of diesel to crisis-hit Sri Lanka

    18 mins ago
  • TSLA to present books to 20 rural libraries on May 22

    27 mins ago
  • Sony Sports Network to telecast live broadcast of Roland-Garros 2022 in four Indian languages

    40 mins ago
  • ‘F3’ all set for grand release with clean ‘U’ from Censor Board

    45 mins ago
  • Dhanush sends legal notice to couple who claimed he is their biological son

    48 mins ago
  • Netherlands confirms first monkeypox case

    53 mins ago
  • BA.4 Omicron variant likely in Chennai teen: TN Minister

    56 mins ago

company

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

business

  • Subscribe

telangana today

  • Telangana
  • Hyderabad
  • Latest News
  • Entertainment
  • World
  • Andhra Pradesh
  • Science & Tech
  • Sport

follow us

© Copyrights 2022 TELANGANA PUBLICATIONS PVT. LTD. All rights reserved. Powered by Veegam