According to joint research by human rights organization Amnesty International and the US newspaper ‘Washington Post’, the Indian government has attacked journalists using the Israeli-made Pegasus surveillance software. Recently, two journalists were affected by the surveillance software on their iPhones, Amnesty International said on Thursday.
The Pegasus software from the Israeli manufacturer NSO can read all data from mobile phones that have been attacked with it. Pegasus can also unknowingly switch on the camera and microphone of the device in question. The software was sold to governments around the world.
“Our recent findings show that journalists in India are increasingly at risk of unlawful surveillance simply for doing their job,” said Donncha Ó Cearbhaill, head of Amnesty International’s Security Lab. There are also other forms of oppression, such as prison sentences under draconian laws, smear campaigns, bullying and intimidation.
Opposition members intercepted
Indian media reported last month that India’s cyber security unit was investigating allegations that mobile phones of opposition politicians had been tapped. The accusations were made after opposition politicians received alerts on their iPhones about “state-backed attackers.”
In 2021, the Hindu nationalist Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accused of using the Pegasus surveillance software to spy on political opponents, activists and journalists. The government rejected this.
Source: Krone
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