Shashi Tharoor-headed IT panel to meet July 28

Amid a full blown political battle over revelations that opposition leaders, Union ministers, journalists and many others were potential targets of snooping by Israeli company NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, there were indications today that the Shashi Tharoor-headed Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology could look into the disclosures.

The panel has called a meeting on July 28 to discuss the subject Citizens’ data security and privacy. The committee has called officials of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Communications to hear their views. “Evidence of the representatives of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Communications (Department of Telecommunications) on the subject ‘Citizens’ data security and privacy’,” a notification issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat said.