India to probe Pegasus snooping allegations

DPA New Delhi India’s Supreme Court on Wednesday set up an inquiry panel headed by a retired judge to probe allegations that Pegasus software was used to h...

DPANew DelhiIndia’s Supreme Court on Wednesday set up an inquiry panel headed by a retired judge to probe allegations that Pegasus software was used to hack phones of politicians, activists and journalists, according to legal reporting website Live Law.The six-member panel includes experts in the field of investigation and information technology, cybersecurity and engineering.The Supreme Court’s order came after hearing a bunch of petitions asking for an independent investigation into the allegations of unauthorised surveillance that appeared in the media.The petitions included those by veteran journalists whose phone numbers were among a database leaked to investigating media organization Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International in Paris and then tracked and researched by a group of media outlets across many countries.Indian media organizations The Wire and Indian Express, which were part of the research, raised questions on whether there was a possibility of government agencies being involved in the surveillance of its critics. Israeli firm NSO has said its Pegasus software was meant to track terrorists and criminals and was sold only to government agencies.The Supreme Court bench said the government had been given ample time to disclose information about the alleged 2019 Pegasus attack and had not been able to give clarity, NDTV news channel reported.“In today’s world, restrictions on privacy are to prevent terrorism activity and can only be imposed when needed to protect national security. But the state cannot get a free pass every time by raising national security concerns,” the court said. Such surveillance software could have potential chilling effect on freedom of the press, the court added.