No plan to ban Pegasus spyware maker NSO group, Centre tell Parliament

The union government has informed Parliament that there is no plan to ban Israel’s NSP group which makes the Pegasus spyware software. The government said this in Rajya Sabha in response to the Samajwadi Party MPs Vishambhar Prasad Nishad and Chaudhary Sukhram Singh Yadav. The centre also said that it is not aware whether the United States has blacklisted the NSO group.

It may be recalled that the NSO group was at the centre of a global controversy over the alleged misuse of its Pegasus spyware to tap phones of politicians, judicial officers, journalists and activists among others.

“Whether United States of America has blacklisted NSO Group and Candiru, for providing Pegasus spyware, which has been used to maliciously target journalists, embassy workers and activists; (b) if so, the details thereof; (c) whether the Ministry has also banned the NSO Group in India; (d) if so, the details thereof; and (e) if not, the reasons therefor?,” asked the MPs.