Congress leader Randeep Surjewala has urged the Supreme Court and the Modi government to act following a U.S. court ruling that held Israel’s NSO Group liable for its intrusive Pegasus spyware. Surjewala highlighted how 300 WhatsApp accounts in India, including those of two Union ministers, three opposition leaders, journalists, and businesspersons, were allegedly targeted. He demanded clarity on who was surveilled, what data was collected, and how it was misused.
The Congress leader also questioned whether the Supreme Court would release the 2021-22 report by its Committee of Technical Experts on Pegasus and called on Meta to reveal the names of Indian users targeted. He criticized the Modi government for its silence and demanded criminal investigations into officials and NSO’s role in the alleged misuse of the spyware.
In the U.S., a District Court ruled that NSO breached contracts and hacked devices, allowing the case to proceed to trial for damages. WhatsApp, which sued NSO in 2019, described the ruling as a “victory for privacy.”
NSO claimed its spyware was meant to fight crime and terrorism, but U.S. courts denied its appeal for immunity under foreign law. Surjewala questioned if the Supreme Court would take note of the U.S. judgment and ensure accountability for the alleged surveillance of Indian citizens.
February 22, 2025 5:10 am
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