Govt asks WhatsApp to explain snooping; Rakes up Pranab Mukherjee 'bugging incident'
New Delhi, Oct 31: Amid row over spyware on WhatsApp being used against journalists and human rights activists in India, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has asked the Facebook-owned messaging platform to explain the breach and list-out measures that have been taken to safeguard privacy of millions of Indians.
Govt asks for explanation
"The Government of India is concerned over the breach of privacy of citizens of India on the messaging platform WhatsApp. We have asked WhatsApp to explain the kind of breach and what it is doing to safeguard the privacy of millions of Indian citizens," Ravi Shankar Prasad tweeted.
Prasad rakes up Pranab Mukherjee 'bugging incident'
Hitting out at the Opposition, Prasad said those trying to make political gain out of it should be reminded of bugging incidents in the office of former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee during the UPA regime, as also spying over then Army Chief General V K Singh.
"Those trying to make political capital out of it need to be gently reminded about the bugging incident in the office of the then eminent Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee during UPA regime. Also a gentle reminder of the spying over the then Army Chief Gen V. K. Singh," Prasad said.
Congress wants SC intervention
The Congress alleged that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government has been "caught snooping" after WhatsApp said journalists and human rights activists in India have been targets of surveillance, and urged the Supreme Court to hold the Centre accountable over the issue.
WhatsApp snooping allegations
Facebook-owned
messaging
platform
said
Indian
journalists
and
human
right
activists
were
among
those
globally
spied
upon
by
unnamed
entities
using
an
Israeli
sypware
Pegasus.
These
users
span
across
four
continents
and
included
diplomats,
political
dissidents,
journalists
and
senior
government
officials.
However,
it
did
not
say
on
whose
behest
the
phones
of
journalists
and
activists
across
the
world
were
targeted.
The
information
technology
ministry
has
meanwhile
sought
a
detailed
response
from
WhatsApp
on
the
issue
and
asked
the
platform
to
submit
its
reply
by
November
4.