#pegasus 🧵
There is nothing shocking or surprising about governments spying using Pegasus. We've known about Pegasus since at least 2016. First known use in India that we know about was in Bhima Koregaon spying, allegedly by Indian govt. A few points for your consideration:
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There is nothing shocking or surprising about governments spying using Pegasus. We've known about Pegasus since at least 2016. First known use in India that we know about was in Bhima Koregaon spying, allegedly by Indian govt. A few points for your consideration:
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1. A govt has used it to spy: Pegasus is sold only to govts. So it would follow that it has been used by a govt against ministers, journalists, opposition leaders, supreme court judges, and many others. This is essentially an attack on our freedoms in india.
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2. Pegasus, once installed on our phones, is used to extract all communications (iMessage, WhatsApp, Gmail, Viber, Facebook, Skype) and locations. Remember that content on your phone itself is not secure.
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Apps can log your keystrokes, screenshot your screen, take control of your apps. All this is easy once in. End to end encryption only protects messages in transit, not on device. Messages and files are typically unencrypted on device.
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Pegasus can be installed on a targets phone in many ways: by sending infected links (spear phishing), social engineering etc. This malware is designed to evade forensic analysis, avoid detection by anti-virus software, and can be deactivated and removed by operators.
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4. Cybersecurity threats and cyber surveillance are here to stay. There is a weaponisation of cyberspace that is taking place at an alarming pace. We need the UN to step in. We need disarmament of the cyberspace. No one will ever feel secure to have trusted communications
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5. The solution to government surveillance, was also alleged in the Bhima Koregaon case, is not the privacy bill, because it exempts the Indian government from accountability. We need surveillance reform. A law to bring accountability to surveillance.
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6. Our intelligence agencies need to be held accountable to parliament. Usage of such software against parliamentarians & Indian citizens needs to require judicial sanction, &future declassification. Authorisation by a "competent authority" is insufficient as long as this
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is classified, and it's collection is sanctioned by an entity that is accountable only to itself or its peers (other bureaucrats). This is dangerous for democracy.
7. The number of cybersuveillance and cybersecurity issues are only going to increase going forward.
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7. The number of cybersuveillance and cybersecurity issues are only going to increase going forward.
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The cybersecurity policy is still stuck with the cabinet. We don't even know what it looks like. The govt needs to buck up on this count.
8. What we need most of all is disarmament of cyberspace, & especially making the sale of software such as Pegasus illegal globally.
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8. What we need most of all is disarmament of cyberspace, & especially making the sale of software such as Pegasus illegal globally.
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States need to prevent the manufacturing and sale of such cyberweapons. We need the UN to step in.
9. Also, without doubt, those in positions of power have to develop strategies to protect their communications. This could involve using multiple devices, multiple modes
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9. Also, without doubt, those in positions of power have to develop strategies to protect their communications. This could involve using multiple devices, multiple modes
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Of communication. I'm no expert on this, but everyone in a position of influence and power needs to be careful of their devices. Trust nothing. Be paranoid. Easier said than done, of course.
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Can't emphasise this enough:India NEEDS surveillance reform. Our agencies need to be held accountable.
Those in power - govt - who have this unrestricted freedom will not change.
We need cases to be filed by those impacted for courts to uphold the fundamental right to privacy
Those in power - govt - who have this unrestricted freedom will not change.
We need cases to be filed by those impacted for courts to uphold the fundamental right to privacy
Wrong. Everyone has something they trust others with. Could be a health concern. Could be personal info about a loved one. This is about privacy.
Could be election/business strategy. About security. Spying means we can't trust our communication.
Could be election/business strategy. About security. Spying means we can't trust our communication.
https://twitter.com/nammaAnup/status/1416809149468319750?s=19
My response: Pegasus wasn't there during UPA afaik, but they would have done surveillance too. Doesn't matter which party.
ALL govts surveille citizens.
We need systemic surveillance reform for accountability for surveillance & protection for citizens
ALL govts surveille citizens.
We need systemic surveillance reform for accountability for surveillance & protection for citizens
https://twitter.com/dinesh4vedi/status/1416929341443870730?s=19
Every govt does surveillance. UPA did it too. All acts of govt surveillance are attacks on our freedoms. There needs to be probable cause,judicial sanction, parliamentary oversight, future declassification, lots more checks to mitigate abuse of power.
https://twitter.com/vaakkaalan/status/1416935501844475909?s=19
Response: I do have a problem with big tech snooping on us. We need a strong privacy law, which data minimisation, privacy by design, informed consent and lots more.
What we don't need is big tech snooping being used to justify govt snooping.
What we don't need is big tech snooping being used to justify govt snooping.
https://twitter.com/alok_bhatt/status/1416936028217110529?s=19
Response: government has denied "unauthorised" surveillance. If a bureaucrats proposes and a bureaucrat approves, where's the independent accountability? Hence parliamentary oversight by a committee is needed. Hence judicial approval is needed.
https://twitter.com/alok_bhatt/status/1416957474331009026?s=19
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