Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Monday, 19 July 2021

Balancing : National Security vs Personal Privacy

 


 

CONTEXT :

IT Minister should answer if govt acquired Pegasus spyware: Chidambaram / MoneyControl

Extract :

“ The Minister should answer a simple question: Did the government acquire the Pegasus software/spyware?" he added.

Rahul Gandhi Selected as Potential Spyware Target in Run Up to 2019 Polls and After  /  The Wire

Extract :

Ø  In a sign that intrusive surveillance technologies are perhaps being deployed to gather information about the principal opposition party, The Wire and its media partners in the Pegasus Project can confirm that at least two mobile phone accounts used by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were among 300 verified Indian numbers listed as potential targets by an official Indian client of the Israeli surveillance technology vendor, NSO Group.

 

Extract :

 

Ø  In fact, the Pegasus list reportedly has also names of two ministers in the Union Government including Information Technology Minister Ashwini  Vaishnaw, who had earlier said today in Lok Sabha that there was no substance in Pegasus Project report


Ø  In the absence of forensics, it is not possible to conclusively establish whether Pegasus was deployed against Rahul Gandhi


 

Dear

Shri Ashwini Vaishnawji ……..( av.odisha@sansad.nic.in )

Shri Shri Kiren Rijiju ……  …..( kiren.rijiju@sansad.nic.in )

Shri Anurag Singh Thakur …( anuragthakur.mp@sansad.nic.in )

Dr. Jitendra Singh ……………..( drjitendras@gmail.com )

Ø  

Governments around the World, have been using ( mostly highly secret ) SURVEILLANCE technologies , for past many decades

 

Ø  Most governments claim that they are deploying these technologies to safeguard NATIONAL INTEREST

 

 

Ø  In all countries, even opposition parties concede use of such technologies for national interest

 

Ø  In all countries, opposition parties allege that the ruling government MISUSES these technologies

 

 

Ø  They ( opposition parties ) want some amount of TRANSPARENCY with respect to :

#  WHO is being surveyed / HOW surveyed / WHEN surveyed / HOW LONG / WHY ( reason )

Ø  If they were in power, even these Opposition Parties would find it very difficult ( if not impossible ), to balance the interest of protecting personal PRIVACY with protecting National Security

 

Dear Ministers :

I urge you to consider my following SOLUTION, which assures transparency, without compromising national security. I believe, even the Opposition Parties would subscribe to my formula  :

Ø  Who watches the Watchmen ? ………………………………( 12 Jan 2019 )

 

Extract :

Ø    SURVEILLANCE   REQUEST   SECTION

 

         Any agency wanting to conduct surveillance of online / offline activities of an Indian

         Citizen, shall submit its’ requirement in this section

 

 

        This shall contain details such as :

 

 

·         Name of the agency

 

 

·         What activity of the citizen is proposed to be surveyed and for how long

 

 

[  Multiple selection from the following  ] :


 

#   Visits and postings on Social Media web sites

 

#   Visits and searches on E Commerce web sites

 

#   Searches on Search Engines  /  All digital traffic ( including thru Alexa /

     Google  Home type devices )

     

 

#   Messages sent / received on Messaging Apps /  E Mail services

 

#   Records of Digital Payment Transactions on Banking / FinTech Network

 

#   Audio logs from Landline and Mobile Service Providers for telephonic talks

 

 

Agency will also need to specify the PURPOSE of the proposed surveillance, by selecting one or more of the following suspected reasons ( list is not comprehensive ) :

 

 

·         Tax Evasion  /  Money Laundering

 

 

·         Criminal Activity  /   Militancy

 

 

·         Fraud  /  Breach of Trust

 

 

·         Anti-National Activity  /  Sedition  /  Treason

 

 

·         Fake News / Pornographic content posting

 

 ·        Speeches / Articles likely to create enmity among people

 

 

 

 

Such a request shall need Online Authorization of, all of the following officers :

 

 

#   Chief of Agency concerned

 

#   Secretary ( Cyber Security ) – Ministry of Information Technology

 

#   Data Protection Regulator

 

 

 

As soon as such a request is “ Approved / Authorised “, an email ALERT will go out automatically ( without any human intervention ) to the citizen concerned that she is “ under surveillance “ .

 

 

 

This will ensure that there is NO SECRET surveillance !

 

 

 

Copies of this E Mail ALERT will also get sent to all other Intelligence Agencies for a coordinated effort and for avoiding duplication

 

  

 

 

  #     SURVEILLANCE  HISTORY  SECTION


 

       At any time of his choice , concerned citizen can login at this section

       and see WHICH Agency surveyed her and for how long

 

          

      But the citizen concerned will NOT be able to see following entries by the

      Agency :

 

 

   #   What was the PURPOSE / REASON for the surveillance

 

 

   #  WHAT DATA  got collected

 

 

   #  FINDINGS  and proposed  COURSE of ACTION , if any

 

 

This part will be visible to all other Intelligence Agencies , who will have facility to add their own information / data about the concerned citizen which is in their possession, in order to compile a COMPREHENSIVE  DOSSIER about that citizen .

 

 

 

However, these other Agencies will NOT be able to EDIT any ENTRIES / FINDINGS of any other agencies

 

 

 

Although these ENTRIES are NOT accessible to the concerned citizen in a normal course , the same shall be made available to her in case any government agency relies upon these during a Court Case against that citizen , arising from such surveillance

 

 

  

 

My proposal,

 

 

#  Gives a free hand to the Agencies to proceed with their investigations,

    without needing PRIOR PERMISSION,

    

 

And

 

 

#  Ensure total TRANSPARENCY of their surveillance activities to the persons

    being investigated

 

    

 

 

This will assure the ordinary citizens (– and also “ vulnerable “ citizens such as politicians belonging to opposition parties ? )– that they are not being snooped upon secretly !

 

 

With regards,

 

Hemen Parekh  /  hcp@RecruitGuru.com  /  20 July 2021

 

Dear Readers :

After adding your own VIEWS, you may want to forward this suggestion through :

Send E Mail to any Central Govt Minister

 

 

 

 

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