Your Data, Calls Can Be Accessed By Govt. Anytime, Anywhere; 7 Years Jail If You Resist

In the history of India, 2018 shall be remembered as the year when the nation turned into a Surveillance State. Almost like following the script of Nineteen Eighty-Four, the dystopian novel by English writer George Orwell which was published in 1984.

Govt. has empowered 10 central agencies to snoop, monitor, and access any computer, any mobile in India. And you won’t be asked why.

Is this a violation of private citizen’s privacy? Or everything is justified when it comes to India’s security and safety?

Lots of questions, but very few answers.

These 10 Govt. Agencies Can Snoop Into Any Computer/Mobile

As per a December 20 notification, Ministry of Home Affairs or MHA has authorized 10 Govt. agencies with absolute power to access any data, calls of every India citizen.

Any information, data stored in any computer and calls made by any mobile by an Indian can be now monitored, decrypted and intercepted without any approval or consent.

These 10 Govt. agencies are:

• The Intelligence Bureau
• Narcotics Control Bureau
• Enforcement Directorate
• Central Board of Direct Taxes
• Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
• Central Bureau of Investigation
• National Investigation Agency
• Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW)
• Directorate of Signal Intelligence (For service areas of Jammu & Kashmir, North-East and Assam only)
• Commissioner of Police, Delhi

This notification was issued by the Cyber and Information Security Division of MHA under the sub-section (1) of section 69 of the Information Technology Act.

7 years prison has been approved for any citizen, who resists this official snooping and surveillance by the Govt. agencies.

The Order was signed by Union Home Secretary, Rajiv Gauba.

The Rise Of Surveillance State in India

Surveillance State is defined as a situation within a country wherein the Govt. is empowered and authorized by law to snoop and monitor its citizens on a large scale.

Since last few years, Surveillance State has increased in India.

This year, we reported that Govt. of India has planned to implement a mass-surveillance activity via Netra or NEtwork TRAffic Analysis, which has been developed by India’s Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), a sub-division of Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

Last year, a similar highly advanced surveillance system was tested by Govt., which was called “Vishwarupal”, developed by the National Technical Research Organization (NTRO).

Major opposition parties including Congress and CPM has opposed this move by MHA to empower 10 Govt. agencies to snoop into its citizens.

CPM leader Sitaram Yechury has termed this ‘unconstitutional’ meanwhile Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram described this situation as “Orwellian state”

We will keep you updated, as more details come in.

Do you think that India requires such mass surveillance and snooping of citizen’s data and calls? Do let us know by commenting right here.

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