Editors Guild of India condemns alleged snooping, seeks SC-monitored probe

The guild said snooping on journalists and civil society activists amounts to “equating journalism and political dissent with terrorism”

The Editors Guild of India has condemned the alleged targeting by Israeli spyware Pegasus of politicians, journalists, and constitutional authorities and demanded an independent inquiry into it under the Supreme Court’s supervision. It said journalists and civil society members should be a part of the inquiry. The guild said snooping on journalists and civil society activists amounts to “equating journalism and political dissent with terrorism”.

The website of Israel-made Pegasus spyware . Private Israeli firm NSO Group has denied media reports its Pegasus software is linked to the mass surveillance of journalists and rights defenders, and insisted that all sales of its technology are approved by Israel's defence ministry. (AFP)

It expressed its concerns “over the brazen and unconstitutional act”.

“How can a constitutional democracy survive if governments do not make an effort to protect freedom of speech and allow surveillance with such impunity?” the guild said in a statement on Wednesday. It urged society to self-introspect and question its values. “We may have veered away from the democratic values enshrined in our constitution,” the statement said.

The government has maintained that no form of illegal surveillance is possible.