Parliamentary Standing Committee on IT to meet on Nov 20 over WhatsApp privacy invasion

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Techlogy (IT) is slated to meet on Wednesday to discuss issues of invasion of privacy and WhatsApp. According to reports, this meeting comes after WhatsApp earlier this month revealed that journalists and activists in India have been target of surveillance by operators using Israeli spyware Pegasus.

Facebook-owned messaging company stated that it remains committed to protecting all messs of its users even as opposition parties accused Centre of "soping" on journalists and activists. 

RE | Amid WhatsApp Sopgate, Cong Claims Priyanka Vra Received Mess

Amid raging controversy, government has asked WhatsApp to come out with an explanation on breach of privacy and list out measures that have been taken to safeguard privacy of millions of Indians.

Whatsapp Soping row

Earlier, maintaining that government was concerned about breach of privacy of Indians, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Pras on October 31 said that WhatsApp h been asked for an explanation in this regard. He was referring to WhatsApp’s revelation that phones of roughly 1,400 individuals across world were hacked using Israeli spyware ‘Pegasus’ earlier this year. Reports suggest that journalists, acemics and human rights activists were among those users who were targeted in India.

hackers were able to install surveillance software on phones of targets on WhatsApp. According to reports, target of hack received audio or video calls from unkwn callers, which is igred, allowing hacker to be installed in ir mobile device. Pegasus software-enabled hackers to access details on phone, including text messs and location of target. India, with 400 million users, is biggest market for WhatsApp. 

RE | BSP Claims 'attack On Democratic Rights' Over WhatsApp Soping Row

contentious software, Pegasus, that was meant for government use on a per-license basis stirred political spectrum as opposition mounted serious allegations on government. However, Cyber & Information Security (CIS) division of Ministry of Home Affairs stated that information was given to purchase Israeli spyware. In response to an RTI application, Home Ministry as per reports said, "It is informed that such information is available with undersigned CPIO." spyware Pegasus came under scanner after it was reportedly used to sop on slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi Arabia officials. 

RE | w You Can Stream Some Netflix Videos Right Within WhatsApp

RE | Tejasswi Prakash’s Whatsapp Hacked And Used To Make Lewd Video Calls

(With ANI inputs)