New Delhi, April 29 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday said a country possessing spyware for security purposes is not wrong, but using it against a civil society person, then it will be looked at.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said, "What's wrong if a country is using spyware? To have spyware is not wrong; it is against whom you are using it that is the question. You can't sacrifice the security of the nation."

The apex court's remarks came as senior advocate Dinesh Dwivedi (appearing for some petitioners) told the bench that the basic issue in the case was whether the government had the Pegasus spyware and was using it.

Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, said, "Terrorists cannot claim ...