Is the Indian government using Pegasus software to spy on critical voices? An investigation by Amnesty International and the Washington Post claims that journalists’ phones were targeted by this software. This is not the first time that the government has been accused of using Pegasus against its own citizens.
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With our correspondent in Bangalore, Como Bastin
As of 2021, an investigation carried out by Amnesty International and 17 newspapers from around the world claims that the opponent Rahul Gandhi was spied on by the Indian government using Pegasus. This software, marketed by Israel under conditions that are not always clear, allows access to all the data and calls on a target phone.
In 2022, the New York Times assures that an agreement worth 1.8 billion euros was signed around Pegasus between New Delhi and Tel Aviv. This should only be used to fight terrorism, but no one can really verify that it is being used properly.
The opposition still spied on
The Indian government has always denied spying on its opponents, but the new investigation by Amnesty International has sowed a little more doubt. The NGO’s report shows that Pegasus was allegedly installed remotely on journalists’ phones, notably Anand Mangnale who published against Gautam Adani, an industrial giant close to power.
In November, Apple alerted many political opposition leaders that an attack had been launched against their phones by state entities.
Read alsoIndia: opposition on the rise following revelations about the Pegasus affair