IT parliamentary panel meets experts to discuss data security, privacy

It is learnt that the next meeting could be held in January, after which a report will be submitted

The parliamentary standing committee for information technology held a three-hour-long meeting with WhatsApp, cybersecurity experts and representatives from the telecom and home ministries to seek their views on citizen's data security and privacy.

The committee, headed by Congress Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor, was initially scheduled to hold the meeting on December 11. 
 

People familiar with the proceedings said independent cybersecurity experts from a private consulting firm, technology lawyers, government officials and WhatsApp representatives were asked questions about the Pegasus spyware and the larger issues surrounding surveillance, hacking and remedial measures.
 

In October, WhatsApp had sued the NSO Group, an Israeli