In light of the Pegasus spyware scandal, what are the checks and balances to prevent abuse of procedures? In 2019, WhatsApp released a statement saying that Pegasus could enter phones via calls made on the platform, even if they were not attended. Also Read NSO Group | The merchant of faceless agentsOnce inside the phone, Pegasus seeks “root privileges”, Claudio Guarnieri, who runs Amnesty International’s Security Lab, told The Guardian. The court also said the means adopted should be proportional to the need for surveillance, and there should be procedures to check any abuse of surveillance. The second legislation enabling surveillance is Section 69 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which deals with electronic surveillance.

Source: The Hindu July 24, 2021 20:48 UTC