What’s in a name? It could be reason for brisk downloads

KOZHIKODE: While the row over Pegasus spyware rages globally, an app of a Koyilandy-based public service commission coaching centre by the same name has seen brisk downloads with people mistaking it to be the Israeli spy software. Authorities of Pegasus PSC Coaching Centre in Kerala were surprised to see the sudden spurt in downloads of their ‘Pegasus Online’ app over the last three days ever since the spyware controversy erupted.
While the total downloads of the app stood at 1,000 last week, it doubled over the past three days to touch 2,110 on Thursday morning.
“We understood that the new-found interest in the app was fuelled by reports over Pegasus software after we started getting plenty of calls from people who downloaded it outside Kerala, even north Indian states,” said PC Sanoop, owner of the coaching centre.
Abin KT, a staff at the centre, said many callers asked how they could manage phone calls using the software. “ I am busy telling them the app is for Kerala PSC exam coaching,” he said, adding that even their Facebook page has been flooded with requests over the past few days. He said the app had the mythological winged horse as its logo and media reports, which used the image of it in the coverage of spyware, would also have contributed to this mistaken identity.