Supreme Court ruling declares unauthorised recordings, either for extortion or evidence-gathering, as unlawfulPrivacy of life is a sacrosanct affair and enjoys protection under the ordinances of law and societal ethics. The judgment has come at a time of social media strides, when society is quite inquisitive, making privacy a questionable issue. This is where a red line is crossed, and the intention of making public even a bad or contested deed goes overboard. The court, thus, ruled that any surveillance with the intention of using it for extortion or other illegal purposes constitutes criminal conduct. The court, deliberating over a case wherein the complainant resorted to unlawful surveillance, noted that such an 'unlawful' act without the consent of the concerned person(s) or official endorsement "effectively transforms a victim into an offender".

Source: The Express Tribune March 16, 2026 20:48 UTC