This document discusses WhatsApp snooping and data privacy concerns in India. It notes that spyware like Pegasus has been used by unknown entities to violate the privacy of Indians without proper legal protections. While the spyware maker claims it only sells to governments, questions remain about whether an Indian agency was behind a group called "Ganges" that used Pegasus in India. The document calls on the government to safeguard citizens' privacy and data, and to credibly answer who violated privacy rights with the Israeli software. It hopes that an upcoming personal data protection bill will improve privacy protections given rapid technological changes.

1. Current Affairs
Whatsapp Snooping and Data
Privacy
Shreyash Shah
21151

2. What is Whatsapp
• It is a Cross-Platform messaging app for
smartphones that allows user to send
text messages, documents and
Multimedia files to friends via internet
• It work with a set of open protocols for
Instant messaging that are broadcast on
thousands of server spread across the
Internet

3. WhatsApp Snooping: Privacy And
The Realm Of Digital Spying
The recent controversy over the use of
spyware Pegasus by innominate entities to violate
the privacy of some Indians has highlighted
multiple risks. With multiple bodies stealing
personal data with no legislative and judicial
framework to safeguard and ensure the privacy of
an individual, the state is under attack for
rampantly invading the privacy of netzines. With
everyday technological evolution and
upgradation, this indeed is a reflection of the
State where it has terribly faltered and failed to
address the concern.

4. With the Pegasus maker claiming that it
only sells the spyware to government
agencies and the Canadian cybersecurity
firm Citizen’s Lab had found a shadowy
group called ‘Ganges’ to be using Pegasus
in India, isn’t the government involved
when the agency claims of selling only to
the government? And what was the
government doing when snooping took
place? But do we know
whether ‘Ganges’ was being operated by
an Indian agency or not?

5. • What are you doing to safeguard our privacy
and data, is a must question that one needs
to be asked to the government so as to make
one feel safe and secure about data while
online. With an indication from
the government to introduce a personal data
protection bill in the winter session of the
Parliament, let’s hope that it permits debate
to improve the quality of legislation, which
can be beneficiary with the changing
technology every second. In the meantime,
we need credible answers to who violated the
fundamental right to privacy of the netizens
with the usage of Israeli software.

6. THANK YOU