'Hello Mr Modi,' says Rahul Gandhi on his iPhone, claims his phone being tapped
Jun 01, 2023
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who is in the US told an audience that he knew his phone was being tapped and wasn't worried about it. He jokingly said, "Hello! Mr Modi" on his iPhone.
Rahul Gandhi, who arrived in the United States on Tuesday for a three-city tour, on Wednesday spent the first half of his day with Silicon Valley-based startup entrepreneurs, known for doing path-breaking work in the field of Artificial Intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies.
Speaking to experts on various aspects of AI, big data, machine learning and their implications on mankind; along with issues like governance, social welfare measures and also disinformation and misinformation, Rahul Gandhi said data is the new gold and countries like India have realized the real potential of it.
"There is a need to have appropriate regulations on data safety and security," the Congress leader said.
However, on the issue of Pegasus spyware and similar snooping technologies, Rahul Gandhi told the audience he was not worried about it. At one point, he said he knew his phone was being tapped and jokingly said, "Hello! Mr Modi" on his iPhone.
"I presume my iPhone is being tapped. You need established rules with regard to the privacy of data information as a nation and also as an individual," he said.
"If a nation-state decides that they want to tap your phone, no one can stop you. This is my sense," he said.
"If the nation is interested in tapping the phone, then this is not a battle worth fighting. I think whatever I do and work, is available to the government," he claimed.
During Rahul Gandhi's address, the front row of the Plug and Play auditorium saw Indian Overseas Congress chairperson Sam Pitroda and some other key aides who have been travelling with him from India.
Based out of Sunnyvale in California, the Plug and Play Tech Centre is one of the largest incubators of startups.
According to its CEO and Founder Saeed Amidi, more than 50 per cent of the startup's founders at Plug and Play have been Indians or Indian Americans.
Amidi told PTI after the event that Gandhi has shown a deep understanding of the IT sector and his knowledge of the latest cutting-edge technologies was quite impressive.
