Facebook representatives told the IT parliamentary standing committee on Friday that they were not aware of who used the Pegasus software to surveil citizens in India, it was learnt. Along with the company, citizens affected by the WhatsApp-Pegasus breach and cyber experts deposed in front of the IT Standing Parliamentary meeting. Attended by around 15 members, the group discussed government powers to surveil, the data protection law and the citizen’s right to privacy, it was learnt. Three citizens from Delhi and Chandigarh, whose WhatsApp was breached, spoke in front of the committee. Two cyber lawyers and one representative from Ernst & Young also discussed legal parameters. It was learnt that the Facebook representatives were asked what steps they had taken after the Pegasus breach. The representatives said they had filed a lawsuit in the US court against the firm that developed the software, the NSO Group, and was working with Citizen Lab to research further. One of those who was targeted by Pegasus said he had filed an FIR, it is learnt.
