Despite multiple government and parliamentary bodies examining the Pegasus hack, a whole year has passed and we still do not know who was responsible for this egregious violation of the privacy of human rights defenders in the country.
The Supreme Court’s judgement in Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India is a step in the right direction but fails to provide immediate relief to Kashmiris who have already suffered immense hardship due to the 158 day communication shutdown.
Internet shutdowns are a pan-India problem and there is no conclusive evidence that they prevent violence. We urge the Central Government to consider issuing an advisory on the frequent use of internet disruptions.
News reports have revealed the targeting of lawyers, journalists and activists in India through NSO’s illegal spyware, Pegasus. While these revelations have left many of us shaken, we must demand transparency from the govt and push for surveillance reform in parliament and courts.
24 August 2019 marks the second anniversary of the Indian Supreme Court’s landmark judgement in KS Puttaswamy v. Union of India. We celebrate and critically appraise this moment as we discuss our next steps in protecting the Right to Privacy.