IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said, “The data does not prove that surveillance has taken place. NSO has also said that the report is false and baseless.” Counting the protocols of surveillance, Ashwini Vaishnav said that any kind of illegal surveillance is not possible in our system.
IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnav spoke on Pegasus espionage case.
Amid reports that phones of journalists and activists were hacked through Pegasus spyware, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in Lok Sabha, “A very sensational news was published last night by a web portal. Many over the top allegations were made around this news. The press report has come out a day before the monsoon session of Parliament, it can’t be a coincidence.”
IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnav is representing the central government in the Lok Sabha on the Pegasus espionage case. He said, “The report says that the presence of phone numbers in the data does not confirm the hack.” He said, “The data does not prove that surveillance has taken place. NSO has also said that the report is wrong and baseless. Counting the protocols of surveillance, Ashwini Vaishnav said that any kind of illegal surveillance is not possible in our system.
The allegation is that individuals linked to these phone numbers for being spied upon. However, the report says that the presence of a phone number in the data does not reveal whether was a device was infected by Pegasus or subjected to an attempted hack: IT Min Ashwini Vaishnaw
– ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2021
‘Illegal surveillance of any kind is not possible’
IT Minister Vaishnav said, “It is alleged that people connected with these phone numbers are being spied upon. However, the report states that the presence of a phone number in the data does not suggest whether the device was infected with Pegasus or was attempted to be hacked,” he said, adding that “our laws and strong institutions are subject to checks and balances.” With this, any kind of illegal surveillance is not possible. India has a good procedure for this through which the legitimate interception of electronic communication is done for the purpose of national security.
Ashwini Vaishnav said, “Appeals for lawful interception of electronic communication under the provisions of section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and section 69 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 are made in accordance with the relevant rules. Every case of interception is approved by the competent authority.”
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