WhatsApp says alerted govt of spyware attack in Sept too; IT Min says past info was inadequate
WhatsApp had informed the Indian government in September that 121 Indian users were targeted by the Israeli spyware Pegasus, but IT ministry has contended that the information received from the messaging app earlier was inadequate and incomplete, according to sources.
Sources at WhatsApp said the messaging platform has now responded to the government's last week's query seeking an explanation on the Pegasus spyware incident that allegedly snooped on journalists and human rights activists across the world, including India.
The IT ministry sources said they have received a reply from WhatsApp and are studying it, and that a view on it will be taken soon.
While declining to comment on the details of the fresh response sent last week, sources in WhatsApp said the company had reached out to the government in September as well, its second alert on the issue after its communication in May.
They said the Facebook-owned company had in the September communication flagged that 121 users in India