India - Government can now snoop on your SMSs, online chats

[samsexy98]

Is this similar to the CISPA stuff??

BANGALORE/DELHI: The government last month quietly began rolling out a project that gives it access to everything that happens over India's telecommunications network—online activities, phone calls, text messages and even social media conversations. Called the Central Monitoring System, it will be the single window from where government arms such as the National Investigation Agency or the tax authorities will be able to monitor every byte of communication.

But privacy and internet freedom advocates are worried that in the name of security, the government could end up snooping on people, possibly abusing a system that does not have enough safeguards to protect ordinary citizens.

"In the absence of a strong privacy law that promotes transparency about surveillance and thus allows us to judge the utility of the surveillance, this kind of development is very worrisome," warned Pranesh Prakash, director of policy at the Centre for Internet and Society. "Further, this has been done with neither public nor parliamentary dialogue, making the government unaccountable to its citizens."

After the Mumbai blasts in November 2008, the government has been arming itself with powers and technology to help it eavesdrop on digital communications. The information technology law, enacted in 2000 and amended twice in 2008 and 2011, gives designated government officials the authority to listen in on phone calls, read SMSes, emails, and monitor websites.

Such access is allowed for purposes of "reasonable security practices and procedures."

However, Pavan Duggal, a Supreme Court advocate specialising in cyberlaw, said the government has given itself unprecedented powers to monitor private internet records of citizens. "This system is capable of tremendous abuse," he said. The Central Monitoring System, being set up by the Centre for Development of Telematics, plugs into telecom gear and gives central and state investigative agencies a single point of access to call records, text messages and emails as well as the geographical location of individuals.

Duggal, who closely follows New Delhi's battle with internet firms, said there hasn't been much details from the government on what exactly the system intends to monitor and under what conditions.

In December 2012, the then information technology minister Milind Deora told Parliament that the monitoring system, on which the government is spending Rs 400 crore, will "lawfully intercept internet and telephone services".

Work on the system has been kept under wraps for nearly two years. Several government agencies have issued tenders seeking specialised equipment and systems for such monitoring.

As part of modernisation, the home ministry is updating all its offices in state capitals with such gear. C-Dot group head Shikha Srivastava declined comment. Information technology ministry spokeswoman Mamta Verma redirected the queries to Gulshan Rai, director of India's Cyber Emergency Response Team, but Rai declined comment.

With over 100 million users, India is one of the fastest-growing internet markets in the world. The government has come under criticism from activists for increased censorship and tracking of user records. Internet activist group Anonymous has started raising the pitch against the monitoring system, claiming that security is just a pretext for spying on citizens.

Disclosures by Google show that the number of requests from the government seeking personal information has been on the rise. In the second half of 2012, the government made nearly 2,500 requests, Google said.

"Even legitimate conversations could end up being tracked," cautioned Duggal, the Supreme Court lawyer.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ur-SMSs-online-chats/articleshow/19932484.cms

 

[ChemicalX]

All hail Manmohan singh. Great! :facepalm:

 

[Nsane]

God!! I would hate that. The internet wouldn't be the internet if people knew all the time what was going on...

 

[Rox]

We are snooped everywhere anyways, why bother protesting lol? Google, Facebook, CCTVs, Bosses, Telecom/Internet Service Providers et al.

Whether they admit or not - they do it. Technology comes with a price, take it or leave it. Why bother when you haven't done anything wrong? No one is going to snoop on you for shit things, it is to catch anti-nationals who do all kinds of anti-nation activities.

 

[ravim]

Now I'm not going to vote CONGRESS again.. Totally pissed of..

 

[BJ@008]

^Were you really thinking of voting them after seeing what they have done since UPA's second tenure.I must say India is in need of a strong youth political revolution if it need freedom from such morons who are just looting our country.

 

[Mr. WJ]

lol :facepalm: india = gone

 

[Yud!]

Well, I don't use SMS anymore. Social/Email websites allow governments to monitor/use the accounts only If there are National Security Threats or Big legal issues, Else their privacy policy comes in handy.

As Rox said, Technology comes with a price and you don't need to worry if you haven't done anything wrong. (y) They don't have time to monitor your sexting or phone sex calls. Lol :rofl: [:P]

 

[samsexy98]

No one is going to snoop on you for shit things, it is to catch anti-nationals who do all kinds of anti-nation activities.

Like terrorism, fraud, etc. which affect at the National Level???

I just afraid of the data being misused because you know Indian corruption. Give some and get the data of anyone. That's what I am concerned of and the govt is also unsure of how the data will be handle.

About the parties; I don't know about them seriously who is what and what is who.. Whom to vote when all seems to look the same these days. Loss of trust :facepalm:

 

[marhahajcs]

No one is going to snoop on you for shit things, it is to catch anti-nationals who do all kinds of anti-nation activities.

its not ok,if anyone can watch your private life,without a valid court order.
this shit is only good for the corrupt goverments.my countrie has done the same thing few years ago,but they use it only for industrial espionage.

 

[Bharat]

We are on the path to tyranny. Why should the government be able to obtain your personal information without probable cause and warrant for the specific information needed? Secondly, they should only get the specific information they need, and not any more. The public should know, if not immediately then eventually, what information the govt is getting and how it is being used. Any data the govt obtains should be destroyed immediately after its court-authorized purpose is achieved.

 

[MR.KiDO]

We are snooped everywhere anyways, why bother protesting lol? Google, Facebook, CCTVs, Bosses, Telecom/Internet Service Providers et al.

Whether they admit or not - they do it. Technology comes with a price, take it or leave it. Why bother when you haven't done anything wrong? No one is going to snoop on you for shit things, it is to catch anti-nationals who do all kinds of anti-nation activities.

but macha, Look when it comes to anti-nation activities or whatever it is (I am science student :-=) the politicians are the one at the topic list...

Also instead of spending 400 crore of money, why not build roads and clean up the street? will save 100 crore and they can use it for there private shit. Nobody is going to complain (like always :p)