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

Wednesday 21 July 2021

Industry wants Central Portal for Law Enforcement Agencies

 


Dear Shri Gaurav Mitraji,

( Vice President – IAMAI / gaurav@iamai.in ) :


Whereas IAMAI request to the Central Government, is absolutely fair and justified, it would help the concerned Government Officers ( in charge of framing / drafting revised SOP ), to quickly announce the SOP, if IAMAI request were to be SHARP and SPECIFIC , as outlined below


As far as the importance of SPECIFICS is concerned, no one is better aware than our new IT Minister, Shri Ashwini Vaishnawji (av.odisha@sansad.nic.in )


with regards,

hemen parekh  /  hcp@RecruitGuru.com /  22 July 2021

==================================================

Context :

Govt likely to issue clarifications on India IT rules, officials say  /  Eco Times  /  22 July 2021

 

 

My Take :

 

Some 30 MONTHS ago, I had suggested some SOP ( Standard Operating Procedure ) in this regard. Following is a comparison

 

 

Topic

My Suggestion as per :

Who watches the Watchmen ?

[ 12 Jan 2019 ]

 

As reported in above news report of Eco Times

 

( 22 July 21 )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portal

 

In my proposed portal

 

(  www.IndiaDataCustodian.gov.in ),

 

provide following sections :

 

#   SURVEILLANCE   REQUEST   SECTION

 

#   SURVEILLANCE  HISTORY  SECTION

 

The Social Media and tech industry has requested the Government to institute

 

 a CENTRAL PORTAL

 

 or establish,

 

 a COMMON E-MAIL

    ADDRESS,

 

through which official requests for content takedown, or FURTHER INFORMATION can be sent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Compromise Solution

 

 

 

 

#   Does NOT require those intelligence

     Agencies to take any PRIOR

     PERMISSION of the individual concerned

     

     

 

 

#   At the same time, ensures that there

     is  “ NO  MISUSE “ by those intelligence

     agencies

 

 

SOPs are to help industry comply with the IT rules, will not change key provisions

 

Will define PROCEDURE for Law Enforcement Agencies to,

 

# Get access to

   Information

 

OR,

 

#  Ask for content

    takedown from Social

    Media platforms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submission of Request in

 

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…etc

 

 

 

The Standard Operating Procedure ( SOP ) being discussed will provide:

 

# Details on the

    procedure to issue

    notices

 

 

#  WHO can issue (

    notices ) and HOW

    ( it ) will be

     implemented

 

 

 

The SOP will explain the PROCEDURE to be followed for getting information or cooperation from the INTERMEDIARY

 

Technology executives have decried the lack of a FORMAL PROCEDURE in place for Law Agencies to send Takedown Requests

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reason for the proposed surveillance

 

Requester to select 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

 

 

In a representation to the government in April, the Internet and Mobile Association of India ( IAMAI ) said :

 

“ We recommend that State Governments should NOT be able to compel content takedowns, and  similar compliance obligations under the IT Act

 

This power should rest solely with the CENTRAL GOVERNMENT as contemplated in the IT Act “

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Online Authorization

 

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

 

 

IAMAI – whose members include large technology corporations and social intermediary platforms – had also requested,

 

# a detailed SOP to be

   published , and

 

#  to be adopted by

    Law Enforcement

    Agencies

 

It had sought ;

 

#  the definition of

    OPERATIONAL

    PROCESSES

 

#  the various POINTS

     of CONTACTS

 

#  the expectation from

    the social media

    intermediaries in

    terms of responses

 

“ Until such time a SOP is in place, any operational changes by the intermediaries, may not be possible “ , it had noted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alerting Person being surveyed

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rights of person being surveyed

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If a court-case gets filed by the Govt against the person surveyed, his “ right to access evidence “

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advantages of 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 !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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