Image Courtesy: nbcnews | rtl
According to few reports the government is gearing itself up for a large scale tracking and monitoring of media houses, bloggers and various social media platforms including Facebook and Youtube. Monitoring and tracking will include Facebook posts, Youtube uploads and host of other opinions and content shared on social media and other digital media platforms. NSCS (National Security Council Secretariat)had earlier recommended NMAC to monitor news on websites, blogs, television, newspapers and even social media outlets like Facebook and YouTube. However, it has apparently said there is no space for such large scale monitoring and tracking in the National Media Centre.
Recent Developments
1.) The Prime Minister’s Office
had asked its ministries to take action on media reports that portray the government in negative light.
had asked its ministries to take action on media reports that portray the government in negative light.
2.) The whole tracking and monitoring system is to be based on tracking software designed by Ponnurangam Kumaraguru, who is an Assistant Professor at the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology in Delhi. The software is unique as it would not only do monitor and track but also provide analytics about the people who are being tracked including their past record and the number of times they have taken a positive or negative stance.
It could be right and wrong
The Government seem to be keen in countering negative reports and opinions which is welcome in a Democracy. However responding need not be done by tracking and monitoring the netizens of the country, they could be responded by appropriate policy measures and discussion in the parliament. Mass tracking and monitoring has never been a hall mark of a democratic government.
The government intends to solve
Unanswered questions
Unanswered questions
1.) What would be the bench mark of a positive or negative stance and who would determine it?
2.) What are the safeguards which will not allow these measures to snowball into a cyber crackdown?
3.) Why use precious resources from the ministry on tracking and monitoring, when there is so much of issues, legislations and files pending ?
4.) Could the resources be better used in enhancing security by contributing to the intelligence agencies?
The Logical Indian would like to express its doubts and concerns over such mass monitoring and tracking. The intention of such tracking system and analytics gathering of netizens is at best skeptical. We request the government to calrify on the proposal as soon as possible and we also request them to not use their precious resources at their disposal in monitoring and tracking. The government could rather respond to critics by good work and development.
