Pegasus spyware targets prominent journalists in India
A joint investigation by Amnesty International and The Washington Post has exposed India’s government for allegedly employing the notorious Pegasus spyware to surveil high-profile journalists.
The investigative report, released on Thursday, sheds light on the misuse of technology created by the Israeli firm NSO Group, which is known for selling Pegasus software to governments worldwide.
According to the findings, Pegasus software grants unauthorized access to a phone’s messages and emails, enables photo browsing, eavesdrops on calls, tracks locations, and can even activate the camera for recording.
Journalists Siddharth Varadarajan of The Wire and Anand Mangnale of The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project are identified as victims of this invasive surveillance on their iPhones, with the most recent case occurring in October.
Donncha O Cearbhaill, Head of Amnesty International’s Security Lab, expressed concern, stating, “Our latest findings show that increasingly, journalists in India face the threat of unlawful surveillance simply for doing their jobs, alongside other tools of repression including imprisonment under draconian laws, smear campaigns, harassment, and intimidation.”
While the Indian government has not responded immediately to these allegations, it had previously denied similar accusations in 2021 regarding the use of Pegasus spyware to monitor political opponents, activists, and journalists.
This revelation adds to the growing concern over the shrinking space for journalistic freedom in the country.
Last month, Indian media reported that the country’s cyber security unit was investigating allegations made by opposition politicians who claimed to have received Apple iPhone warnings of “state-sponsored attackers.”
In response, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the information and technology minister, expressed the government’s concern about the complaints, hinting at a broader examination of the alleged attempts at phone tapping.
As the Pegasus scandal unfolds, it raises questions about the balance between national security and the preservation of journalistic freedom, prompting calls for transparency, accountability, and safeguards against the misuse of powerful surveillance tools.
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