What is Pegasus?
Israel’s NSO Group’s Pegasus is a malicious spyware that has hacked the mobile devices of many people across the globe.
Pegasus hacks the device without the awareness of the user and then collects and transfers information.
Why is this concerning?
Pegasus works by invisibly entering mobile devices and collecting and transferring data by gaining access to the camera and microphone.
For NSO Group's clients, the Pegasus software is the best weapon to deprive citizens of independent information that governments want to kept secret.
In India, two serving ministers, three opposition leaders, one constitutional authority, current and former heads of security organisations, administrators and 40 senior journalists and activists have become victims of the software.
The inclusion of India, along with Saudi Arabia and other authoritarian countries, on the list is a cause of concern, as it can also be used to plant evidence.
Are these reports misleading?
Opinion 1:
No, and it raises questions on mass surveillance of citizens, violating their fundamental rights
Pegasus was discovered to be extorting data from as many as 50.000 mobile phones.
The software originally launched to fight terrorism is now being used for hacking.
It poses questions on privacy, the surveillance industry and the lack of safeguards for citizens.
With advanced surveillance tools like Pegasus, a journalist's greatest asset, encrypted communications, is now under threat.
When fundamental privacy and free speech rights are violated in this way, it is an attack on democracy.
Are these reports misleading?
Opinion 2:
Maybe, as the government has refuted these claims and NSO claimed the entire report to be factually incorrect.
The Indian government responded by saying that the reports of spying in a democratic country are incorrect.
Developer of the spyware, NSO denied all allegations and called the claims misleading.
NSO believes this to be data that is easily available and that has no bearing on the list of customers of Pegasus or other NSO products.
NSO sells its products to law enforcement and governmental agencies worldwide to prevent terrorism and break up paedophilia rings, sex and drug-trafficking rings.