WhatsApp, in a note to the Indian Government, said that the company had pre-informed the nation about the potential threat of Pegasus, unidentified then. However, the IT Dept. had ruled it out saying it was too jargon-heavy and vague to hint at anything and now seeks measures to safeguard the privacy of millions of Indian WhatsApp users.
Crux of the Matter
WhatsApp, in May and September, had notified the Indian Government about a potential threat affecting around 121 people of India – mostly human rights activists and journalists.
Associating the breach in the app to Pegasus (spyware made by the NSO Group) was not possible until now, says WhatsApp.
The government officials have been on a defensive stance stating that the Indian Govt. has no connections with the Israeli group NSO which has the stance – “The technology is licensed to government intelligence and law enforcement agencies”.
The Centre is also skeptical about the timing of the WhatsApp’s recent filings against NSO as India drafts new rules for regulating the misuse of social media.
Curiopedia
Pegasus is a spyware that can be installed on devices running certain versions of iOS, Apple’s mobile operating system, developed by the Israeli cyberarms firm, NSO Group. The company that created the spyware, NSO Group, stated that they provide “authorized governments with technology that helps them combat terror and crime”. Read More
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