Your computer is not a safe place anymore, as it can now be “monitored, intercepted and can also be decrypted” by some of the central agencies. On December 20, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an order granting ten Central agencies to monitor “any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer.”
According to The Hindu, the order issued have authorised agencies including 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) and Commissioner of Police, Delhi to intercept, monitor, and decrypt the information stored on your computer.
The order further says that the owner or service provider or even any person, who is in charge of the computer resource would have to abide by the government order. The person would have to extend all facilities and technical assistance to the agencies, and in case if the respondent fails to do, he/she would be liable for the punishment. The person can be charged with seven-years of imprisonment and fine.
The order from the MHA came under 69 (1) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. According to the act, the Central government can direct any agency after it is satisfied that it is necessary or expedient data from him/her in the “interest of the sovereignty or integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states or public order or for preventing incitement.
Soon after the order, the opposition criticised the government move. The Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala called it an attack on privacy.
अबकी बार,निजता पर वार!
Modi Govt mocks & flouts Fundamental ‘Right to Privacy’ with brazen impunity!
Having lost elections,now Modi Govt wants to scan/snoop YOUR computers?
‘Big Brother Syndrome’ is truly embedded in NDA’s DNA!
जनता की जासूसी=मोदी सरकार की निन्दनीय प्रवृत्ति! pic.twitter.com/qCe1IocgY8
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) December 21, 2018
The Logical Indian Spoke to cybersecurity of Police, Brijesh Singh, who welcomed the government’s move. He said that it is a measure to check nation security. He further said that there are several provisions which allow the government to take the data. “It depends on the nature of the crime committed by one, which will decide which agency would look into the person’s data and what data to be looked into. The requirement of the data would be different for a different crime,” said the officer. When asked that if the team national security can be misused for extracting the data, he said that it is not possible as all this is done under a very stringent process. It is a legal process which has proper review and checks,” he added.
While talking about our data being colonised he said that it is a bigger threat to the people. He said that if your data if with your government, at the time of miss use on can at least question the government as your government is accountable to you. What will you do if any of these large corporates are selling your data, which they are? Who would you do?
Meanwhile, the business tycoon, Mukesh Ambani also commented on “data colonisation”. He said, “In this new world, data is the new oil. And data is the new wealth. India’s data must be controlled and owned by Indian people and not by corporates, especially global corporations,” as reported by the News18.
Also Read: 5 Lakh Users Data Exposed, Google To Shut Down Google+ Within The Next Ten Months
