#9- Global Media Law or Ethics

Spyware use violates supreme court privacy ruling. In 2021, there were allegations made about the Indian government using advanced spyware include any type of listening/recording devices to target activists or any enemies.

The human rights watch later states that the authorities should places laws, regulations, and judicial reforms about international standards on "privacy and other civil liberties."

In 2017, there was a digital rights case where the Indian supreme court had ruled that the right to privacy is a fundamental right underneath the Indian Constitution. The arguments that previous court cases had relied upon were arguments about public safety and national security arguments. India's supreme court ordered a panel of experts to investigate the prime minister along with his panel of experts.

 The possible violation of a citizen's right to privacy and free speech compelled the Chief Justice NV Ramana to seek out the truth in whether or not the government was spying on individuals. This spyware is called Pegasus spyware. This was a huge joint collabrative investigative project to find out this spyware was being utilized for. Pegasus is a cyber-weapon that hacks into someones cellphone, and will record/video or take out any files in the smart phone on the camera and the microphone. New York Times reported that "India acquired Pegasus from Israel as part of a defense deal in 2017." In 2021 there were 160 Indians who were spied on through this malware. These numbers were recorded by the Indian news outlet, "The Wire". These included lawyers, politicians, and activists. 

The accusations and court rulings are still occuring to this day. Nothing has been settled yet.