Last Updated on July 24, 2021 at 6:19 pm
Pegasus spyware which gives the control to hackers to collect data from the targeted devices has created global headlines. But in Kashmir, it seems to be a normal thing as from decades people in valley have lived with this thought that their phones are being tapped.
Even the normal conversations done on the phone, people think that it is getting tapped. Everyone is aware that conversations like politics or any other situations cannot be discussed on phones.
Talking about the then J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, his phone was allegedly tapped in 2011. It was later picked up by the J&K Police in Jammu, and the chief minister was subsequently informed and for months Abdullah didn’t use his phone. It clearly showed that no one is safe from phone tapping and anyone can be made a target.
On a lighter note people often joke on the phone about their phone getting tapped. People give wrong addresses and talk non-sense on phone, to confuse those whom they think are tapping their conversation. Also some people use abusive language for the person they feel is tapping their phone. One can come to know that there phone is being tapped by technical glitches. It is like if there is a beep during call is considered to be an indication of phone tapping.
Now people have been more aware since WhatsApp and social media communication applications allow communicating, it has become easy for them to talk on these apps.
The claims of end-to-end encryption provided a sense of security and privacy to people. And now, after the Pegasus spyware stories breaking, people have stopped taking even WhatsApp.
It is extremely difficult to live with a thought that there is someone always listening to their talks. Whether lawyers, journalists, politicians, officers or common people, they have a thought that there is someone tapping their phone.
Also there are many instances when journalists or lawyers were called to the police station and the first thing done with them was to seize their phone.
