Justice V Kameswar Rao issued notice on the petitioner by Dimple Vivek, a lawyer, who argued that mobile spyware or malware was a serious threat to mobile phone users who are placed under “total surveillance”.

The judge also sought response from Google and certain spyware sellers on the petition that seeks a direction to the Centre to stop the sale, operation and advertisement of such spyware. The petitioner has also sought directions to the Centre to regulate such spyware.

Women were the primary victims of illegal spyware which is “capable of capturing a significant amount of highly personal information” such as location tracking, monitoring text messages, calls, photos and cameras, the petition said.

“Spyware or stalker ware refers to tools - apps, software programs, and devices - that let another person (such as an abuser/Spy/stalker etc) secretly monitor and record information about phone activity. The term 'stalkerware' is a more recent term that draws attention to the invasive, intrusive, and dangerous misuse of these tools,” it said.

It has further claimed that certain spyware which runs on stealth mode and are difficult to detect or remove are being sold/licensed to the public at large without any restriction or control and, there is thus a potential of being misused.

“This goes without saying that the very existence and use of the software/app is not only dangerous but is threatening to every individual including a threat to the nation, as has an enormous capacity of being misused grossly, including by terrorists, extremists etc… That unauthorized surveillance/accessing of stored data from the phones and other devices of citizens for reasons other than nation's security would be illegal, objectionable and a matter of concern,” the petition stated.

Every citizen of India ought to be protected by the State against violations of privacy and violations of freedom, it said. The matter would be listed next on March 9.

With PTI inputs.