The Centre said on Sunday that there was “ no unauthorised interception ” by the Union government agencies amid reports that phones numbers...
The Centre said on Sunday that there was “no unauthorised interception” by the Union government agencies amid reports that phones numbers of Indian ministers, opposition politicians, journalists, activists and others were found on a leaked database of targets for reportedly hacking them using Pegasus software, reported NDTV.
“The allegations regarding government surveillance on specific people have no concrete basis or truth associated with it whatsoever,” the Centre said in a statement.
The Centre said that similar claims were earlier made regarding the use of Pegasus on WhatsApp by the government, adding that those reports had no factual basis and were categorically denied by all parties, including WhatsApp in the Supreme Court.
“Government of India’s response to a Right to Information application about the use of Pegasus has been prominently reported by media and is in itself sufficient to counter any malicious claims about the alleged association between the Government of India and Pegasus,” it said.
The leaks raise questions about cyber surveillance of Indian citizens. Forensic tests have revealed that at least some of those named on the list had their phones hacked by the spyware that Israeli company NSO Group says it only sells to “vetted governments”, reported The Wire.
The leaked list, featuring more than 50,000 phone numbers “concentrated in countries known to engage...
