An Israeli spyware ‘Pegasus’ has been used to hack phones belonging to journalists, human rights activists, business executives and politicians in many countries, an investigation by a group of 17 media organisations has revealed.
More than 50,000 smartphone numbers appear on a list of phones concentrated in countries known to engage in surveillance on their citizens and also known to have been clients of the NSO Group, the investigation revealed.
The leaked database of numbers was accessed by Paris-based media nonprofit Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International and shared with several news organisations as part of a collaborative investigation called the ‘Pegasus Project’.
As per reports in ‘The Wire’ and other publications, the list includes over 300 verified Indian mobile telephone numbers, including those used by ministers, Opposition leaders, journalists, the legal community, businessmen, government officials, scientists, rights activists and others.
The Centre, however, said that the allegations regarding government surveillance on specific people have no concrete basis or truth associated with it whatsoever. In the past, similar claims were made regarding the use of Pegasus on WhatsApp by Indian state. Those reports also had no factual basis and were categorically denied by all parties, it said.
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