Raids at journalists’ homes and seizures of their laptops and mobile phones have ignited a debate on whether the right to privacy and the right to protect work stored in these devices can be compromised by the state in the name of security.
“Members of a civilised democratic society have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Privacy is not the singular concern of journalists or social activists. Every citizen of India ought to be protected against violations of privacy,” the Supreme Court had held in its judgment in the Pegasus case in October 2021.
Then Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, who authored the verdict which concerned allegations of the government using an Israeli surveillance programme to spy on mobile phones of journalists and activists highlighted the need to protect journalistic sources from prying eyes.
