Tech use against civil society, regime critics, journalists concerning: US

The United States has said it is against the use of spying technology on civil society, regime critics, and journalists, even as it maintained that the US has no particular insight into the Pegasus issue in India.

"The whole notion of using this type of technology against civil society, or regime critics, or journalists, or anybody like that through extrajudicial means is always concerning," Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Dean Thompson told reporters during a news conference here on Friday.

On Sunday last, an international media consortium reported that over 300 verified mobile phone numbers, including of two ministers, over 40 journalists, three opposition leaders and one sitting judge besides scores of businesspersons and activists in India could have been targeted for hacking through the Pegasus spyware.

The government has been denying all Opposition allegations in the matter.

"We I don't have any particular special insights into the India case," Thompson said when asked about the news reporters emerging from India.

"I know this is a broader issue, but I will say that we've been, I think, quite vocal about trying to find ways for companies to be able to ensure that their technology is not used in these types of ways. And we will certainly continue to press those issues," he said.