iWorld
The Quint partners with MP Dr Shashi Tharoor to make stalking a non-bailable offence
MUMBAI: In August, The Quint started Talking Stalking, a campaign to give a voice to all those who face stalking every day and yet find that they can’t speak out.
The overwhelming response to the campaign compelled us to look for a way which would ensure that stalkers are held accountable by the law and that stalking complaints are taken seriously. As we studied the existing law, we realised that one important change could make a huge difference – stalking as a non-bailable offence
As a result, we have partnered with MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor and senior advocate Kamini Jaiswal to propose an amendment to Indian criminal law that will make stalking a non-bailable offence, in the form of a Private Member’s Bill.
On December 20, 2017, The Quint organised an event at Oxford Bookstore, New Delhi to raise support for the Bill. A packed house participated in a discussion with a distinguished panel, which was also broadcast via Facebook Live.
On Stalking and the Bill
Dr. Shashi Tharoor, talking about why this Bill was important, said: “Now is the time to talk about stalking. Stalkers in India have a sense of impunity as it is a bailable offence”. He noted that while he had submitted the Bill to amend the law, “Maneka Gandhi should take this issue up personally.” This would help ensure it gets passed in Parliament: “Those who aren’t allowing this Bill to prevail are doing an insult to the Varnikas and Laxmis of the country.”
Supreme Court advocate Karuna Nundy, who has argued several important Constitutional matters in the courts, including most recently a challenge against marital rape, said that “Stalking being a bailable offence is a massive lacuna in our legal system. It enables criminals to [commit] murder, rape & acid attack”. Pointing out that stalking was supposed to be made non-bailable when it was introduced in 2013, she criticized Parliament for changing this at the last minute: “Parliament caused a lot of women being attacked, raped and killed when it failed the stalking bill in 2013”. She concluded with a strong message: “Women are Indian citizens and have a right to NOT be stalked”.
“Why should their stalking make us lose our freedom?”, asked Varnika Kundu, whose fight against her stalkers in Chandigarh helped bring the problems with the law on stalking to light. She is also fronting a petition with The Quint on Change.org to support the Bill, which has over 1,30,000 signatures: “The big reason I am fronting this petition — everyone who has survived stalking is so done with living with fear. Strike the fear of them losing their freedom. What is flattering is not actually flattering but terrorising”.
Laxmi, acid attack survivor and activist also gave a fiery speech, and urged society to change its attitude towards stalking. “I did not live like a victim. I am a survivor. I am not a “poor thing”. I have all rights to live my life to the fullest. I have made a place for myself. Support yourself, and only then will others support you… Why should I be ashamed? The man who attacked me and those who supported him should be ashamed.”
Geetha Nambisan, director of Jagori, which works with women who have faced crimes like stalking, and has agreed to partner with The Quint on its #TalkingStalking campaign, added that “When people will understand that there is a concrete punishment for stalking, that there’ll be consequences, then the crimes will go down”.
iWorld
Meta warns 200 users after fake Whatsapp spyware attack
Italy-targeted campaign used unofficial app to deploy surveillance spyware.
MUMBAI: It looked like a message, but it behaved like a mole. Meta has warned around 200 users most of them in Italy after uncovering a targeted spyware campaign that weaponised a fake version of WhatsApp to infiltrate devices. The attack, first reported by Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, relied on classic social engineering with a modern twist: persuading users to download an unofficial WhatsApp clone embedded with surveillance software. The malicious application, believed to be developed by Italian firm SIO through its subsidiary ASIGINT, was designed to mimic the real app closely enough to bypass suspicion.
Meta’s security teams identified roughly 200 individuals who may have installed the compromised version, triggering immediate countermeasures. Affected users were logged out of their accounts and issued alerts warning of potential privacy breaches, with the company describing the incident as a “targeted social engineering attempt” aimed at gaining device-level access.
The malicious app was not distributed via official app stores but circulated through third-party channels, where it was presented as a legitimate WhatsApp alternative. Once installed, it reportedly allowed external operators to access sensitive data stored on the device turning a simple download into a potential surveillance gateway.
According to Techcrunch, Meta is now preparing legal action against the spyware developers to curb further misuse. The company, however, has not disclosed details about the specific individuals targeted or the extent of data compromised.
A Whatsapp spokesperson reiterated that user safety remains the top priority, particularly for those misled into installing the fake iOS application. Meanwhile, reports from La Repubblica suggest the spyware may be linked to “Spyrtacus”, a strain previously associated with Android-based attacks that could intercept calls, activate microphones and even access cameras.
The episode underscores a growing reality in the digital age, the threat is no longer just what you download, but where you download it from. As unofficial apps become increasingly convincing, the line between communication tool and covert surveillance is getting harder to spot and far easier to exploit.
