Pegasus: SC asks expert panel to recommend mechanism on surveillance
The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the experts panel to ascertain if any governmental agency has used the Pegasus spyware on the citizens of the country, and under what law, rule, guideline, protocol, or lawful procedure such deployment was made.
Giving details of the terms of reference of the committee set up in the Pegasus snooping case, a bench presided over by Chief Justice N V Ramana said the panel would also find out details of the victims and persons affected by such spyware attack.
It would also examine the actions taken by the central government after reports of hacking of WhatsApp accounts of citizens using Pegasus spyware were made public in 2019.
The court also entrusted the panel to make recommendations on the need for enactment or amendment to existing law and procedures on surveillance and for securing the improved right to privacy.
It also asked the technical experts committee to suggest the establishment of a mechanism for citizens to raise grievances on suspicion of illegal surveillance of their devices.
The panel would also recommend enhancing and improving the cyber security of the nation and its assets and to ensure the prevention of invasion of citizens’ right to privacy.
It has also been asked to recommend for setting up of a well¬equipped independent premier agency to probe cyber security vulnerabilities for threat assessment relating to cyber-attacks and to investigate such instances.
It has also been given a task to recommend any ad-hoc arrangement that may be made by the top court as an interim measure for protection of citizen’s rights, pending filling up of lacunae by Parliament. The court asked the panel to conduct a thorough inquiry and place its report expeditiously. It posted the batch of petitions for hearing after eight weeks.
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