Surveillance : make it a “ Compromise Issue “ ?

 

 

Context :

Supreme Court Pegasus panel invites public views on legal measures on surveillance and Privacy Invasion

(  ET  -  25 March 2022 )

Extract :

Ø  The panel has sought public response on :

 

      #   Enactment or amendment to existing laws and procedures surrounding

           surveillance,

 

      #   Ensuring prevention of invasion of citizen’s right to privacy,

 

      #   Establishing a mechanism to raise grievances on suspicion of illegal

           surveillance etc  

 

MY  TAKE :

 

Pegasus Panel Members :

Justice Raveendran

Shri Alok Joshi

 

Dr Sundeep Oberoi

Dr Naveen Kumar Chaudhary, Professor (Cyber Security and Digital Forensics)

Dr Prabaharan P., Professor (School of Engineering), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham 

Dr Ashwin Anil Gumaste, Institute Chair, Associate Professor – IIT Bombay

 

Dear Friends ( Panel Members ) :

I urge you to consider my following suggestion in this matter

 

Who watches the Watchmen ? ………………………….[ 12 Jan 2019 ]

 

Extract :

 

In my view, a compromise solution is possible , which :

 

 

#   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

 

  

Here is how :

 

In my proposed portal (  www.IndiaDataCustodian.gov.in  ), provide following sections :

 

{ for understanding the working of this proposed portal , read :

       Only Answer : a Statutory Warning  [  10 Nov  2018  ]   }

  

    #   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

 

 

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 !

 

 

 

RELATED READINGS :

Virtual Reality ( VR ) Arrival : Privacy Departure ? …………………………[ 20 June 2021 ]

Balancing : National Security vs Personal Privacy………………………….. [ 19 July 2021 ]

Pegasus : Give it to a Surgeon………………………………………………………… [ 20 July 2021 ]

Industry wants Central Portal for Law Enforcement Agencies…………[ 21 July 2021 ]

Will mother Medusa replace son Pegasus ? …………………………………….[ 29 July 2021 ]

Surveillance Procedure / V 2.0……………………………………………………….. [ 31 Aug 2021 ]

Phone tapping is Passé : Make Way for Face-tapping …………………….[ 06 Sept 2021 ]

Dear Supreme : How about asking Pegasus to file an Affidavit ?.....[ 15 Sept 2021 ]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pegasus Committee : Terms of Reference ……………………………………….[ 26 Sept 2021 ]

Extract :

Ø  By no means, the above is a comprehensive list

Ø  I urge you to include in those “ terms of reference “, the following :

          #  In light of your findings, do you see the need to modify / amend, not

              only the current law ( governing such surveillance of citizen )

               but also the rules / procedures / processes etc ,governing such

               snooping ?

              

         #    While preparing your recommendations, you may kindly examine

               whether your recommendations will stand the test of time, in light of

               the rapidly changing SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY , as

             illustrated below :

             

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

Supremely Satisfactory ………………………………………………..[ 27 Oct 2021 ]

Extract :

Supreme Court, in its order says :

 

“ The committee shall have the power, to take the statements of any person in connection with the inquiry “

 

Please treat this as my “ Statement “

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

 

 with regards,

hemen parekh  /  hcp@RecruitGuru.com  /  29 March 2021

 

CC :

#  National Forensic Sciences University’s dean Naveen Kumar Chaudhary

      [ naveen.chaudhary@nfsu.ac.in ]

 

#  Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s professor Prabaharan P

            [ pp_amritha@cb.amrita.edu ]

 

#   IIT-Bombay professor Ashwin Anil Gumaste

            [ ashwing@iitb.ac.in ]

 

# Sundeep Oberoi / sundeep.oberoi@yahoo.com

 

# Alok Joshi / alok@gmail.com /