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Report: Israeli malware used to hack Indian politician’s smartphone

WhatsApp informs Indian National Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra that her phone was hacked during India’s election this year using Malware produced by the firm NSO Group.

Nov. 4, 2019
Indian politician Priyanka Gandhi Vadra speaks at Mandi Samiti Ground in Uttar Pradesh, India, on April 15, 2019. Credit: Indian National Congress.
Indian politician Priyanka Gandhi Vadra speaks at Mandi Samiti Ground in Uttar Pradesh, India, on April 15, 2019. Credit: Indian National Congress.
( Nov. 4, 2019 / JNS )

Indian National Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was informed by WhatsApp Inc. that her phone was hacked during India’s election campaign this year by Malware from the Israeli firm NSO Group, the party announced on Sunday, according to Reuters.

The mobile messaging application WhatsApp sued NSO Group last Tuesday for allegedly helping governments hack into the phones of some 1,400 users around the world, including diplomats, dissidents, journalists and senior government officials, according to Reuters.

NSO denied the allegations.

On Thursday, the Indian government asked WhatsApp for information on affected users in the country.

India is WhatsApp’s biggest market, with some 400 million users, the report noted.

One source was quoted by Reuters as saying that 121 people in India were among those targeted using the Israeli surveillance software.

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