Washington:
The US has stated it is against the use of spying technologies on civil society, regime critics and journalists, even as it maintained that it has no unique insight into the Pegasus problem in India.
“The whole notion of using this type of technology against civil society, or regime critics, or journalists, or anybody like that through extrajudicial means is always concerning,” US’s Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Dean Thompson told reporters through a news conference in Washington on Friday.
Last Sunday, an international media consortium reported that more than 300 verified mobile phone numbers, such as of two ministers, more than 40 journalists, 3 Opposition leaders and one sitting judge apart from scores of businesspersons and activists in India could have been targeted for hacking via the Pegasus spyware.
The government has been denying all Opposition allegations more than the matter.
“We – I don’t have any particular special insights into the India case,” Mr Thompson stated when asked about the news reporters emerging from India.
“I know this is a broader issue, but I will say that we’ve been, I think, quite vocal about trying to find ways for companies to be able to ensure that their technology is not used in these types of ways. And we will certainly continue to press those issues,” he stated.
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