Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra today lashed at the Centre while seeking its response on the alleged use of Israeli spyware to target Indian journalists and human rights activists in Whatsapp’s revelation on global spying scam.
She took to Twitter and said waiting for the government’s response. She tweeted, “If the BJP or the government has engaged Israeli agencies to snoop into the phones of journalists, lawyers, activists and politicians, it is a gross violation of human rights and a scandal with grave ramifications on national security. Waiting for the government’s response.”
If the BJP or the government has engaged Israeli agencies to snoop into the phones of journalists, lawyers, activists and politicians, it is a gross violation of human rights and a scandal with grave ramifications on national security. Waiting for the government’s response.
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) November 1, 2019
On Thursday, WhatsApp said it had informed several Indian users this week that they had been spied upon by Israeli spyware Pegasus among those globally targeted by unnamed entities, earlier this year. Those hit by the spyware included journalists, activists, lawyers and senior government officials.
WhatsApp users in the US, UAE, Bahrain, Mexico and Pakistan too were targeted.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tweeted, “Government of India is concerned at the breach of privacy of citizens of India on the messaging platform WhatsApp. We have asked WhatsApp to explain the kind of breach and what it is doing to safeguard the privacy of millions of Indian citizens.”
Government of India is concerned at the breach of privacy of citizens of India on the messaging platform Whatsapp. We have asked Whatsapp to explain the kind of breach and what it is doing to safeguard the privacy of millions of Indian citizens. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/YI9Fg1fWro
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) October 31, 2019
The Ministry had written to WhatsApp on Thursday seeking its response on the matter, a senior government official told news agency PTI. WhatsApp has been asked to submit its reply to the government by November 4.
Facebook WhatsApp’s parent company has sued Israeli cybersecurity company NSO on Tuesday for allegedly using WhatsApp servers to spread malware to 1,400 users across 20 countries by spyware Pegasus, in April.
The Congress called it “blatant illegal hacking” of phones and demanded a Supreme Court monitored probe in this case.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi too tweeted on the matter and said, “The Govt seeking WhatsAap’s response on who bought Pegasus to spy on Indian citizens, is like Modi asking Dassault who made money on the sale of RAFALE jets to India!”