WhatsApp snooping: Parliamentary Panel headed by Shashi Tharoor to examine case today

New Delhi, Nov 20: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor-led parliamentary committee will examine the WhatsApp snooping issue today.

The meeting comes at the backdrop of 17 people, who were victims of Pegasus snooping, wrote to the parliamentary standing committee demanding an inquiry.

The IT Parliamentary panel will meet to seek response from the Ministries of Electronics & Information Technology, Home Affairs and the Department of Atomic Energy on citizens' data security and privacy, news agency IANS reported quoting sources.

Earlier this month, Facebook-owned WhatsApp revealed that Indian journalists and human rights activists were among those globally spied upon by unnamed entities using an Israeli spyware Pegasus, triggering a furore over breach of citizens' privacy.

Facebook claimed that the snooping took place in April ahead of the national elections. Following the disclosure by WhatsApp, The social media giant has sued NSO, the Israeli firm that made the software.

However, Facebook said it has taken a "strong action" in the incident that remains committed to protecting messages of its users.

While targeting the government, opposition leaders Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have alleged that their phones were tapped.

India accounts for about 400 million WhatsApp users, while the social media has 1.5 billion globally.