Context :
Give
details of laws, procedures for tapping phones, Delhi High Court tells Centre /
BL / 31 Aug
Extract :
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed
the Centre to file an affidavit giving details of the law and procedure
followed for monitoring and interception of phones on a
plea for a permanent oversight
authority to authorise and review such a move.
The Court’s order came on a public interest petition filed by
the :
Centre for Public Interest Litigation
(CPIL) / reachout@clpr.org.in
- which argued that the general
surveillance systems such as Centralised
Monitoring System (CMS), Network
Traffic Analysis (NETRA) and National
Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) are compromising the citizens’ right
to privacy.
According to the petition, the general
surveillance systems allow the authorised Central and State law enforcement agencies
to intercept all and any telecom communications in bulk,
leading to a “mass illegal dragnet surveillance system”.
The petition simultaneously pointed out that the oversight
mechanism for such vast surveillance systems is woefully inadequate and
insufficient.
It quoted an RTI reply, obtained from the Ministry of Home
Affairs ( https://www.mha.gov.in/ ) , to
submit that on an average around 7,500-9,000 telephone interception orders
were being issued by the Centre per month during 2013-2014, which can only be
said to be issued in a mechanical manner without application of mind,
thereby exceeding the adequate safeguards and oversight mechanism under the
Indian Telegraph Act and Rules which laid the groundwork for the right to
privacy in the context of wiretaps and Constitutional freedoms.
The Centre sought time to
reply. “I am not appearing in this matter but another matter is pending before
the Supreme Court. There are statutory rules in place that require us to seek
permission. It also requires periodic review… There are rules made under
Section 69 read with Section 84 of the IT Act… It cannot be decided on
numbers, that 1,000 is okay but 7,000 permissions are not okay,” said
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta./ tusharmehta.sg@gmail.in
MY TAKE :
Ø
Agreed.
With 700+ million phone connections in India, 7,000 is an insignificant number.
But that is not the point
Ø
Neither
can any citizen object that, keeping in mind the matter of National Security, Government
has the right to carry out surveillance
Ø
Problem with the current
procedure is :
# Person who is being surveyed, does not come to know that he is being
surveyed – and how
# Nor does he get to know, WHO authorized his surveillance – and WHEN
Ø
If,
as a citizen, I am not “ thinking-talking-acting “, against the National
Interests, then I have nothing to hide from the government
Ø
Not
agreeing with any government policy / procedure or expressing my “ constructive views “ ( even if unpalatable
to the policy-makers ), is NOT a crime
Ø
Dissent ( holding different / opposite views ), is the very FONDATION of DEMOCRACY
Ø
If
I am being “ surveyed “ fine – but I must know – and the entire country must know, WHO is following me and WHO authorized and WHEN ( even if I am not told : WHY
)
Ø
I
urge the Delhi High Court to consider the OVERSIGHT MECHANISM
proposed by me in my following earlier e-mail, and ask the Central Government ,
its views about my proposal :
Who
watches the Watchmen ? ……………………..[ 12 Jan 2019 ]
Extract :
SURVEILLANCE REQUEST SECTION
Any agency wanting to conduct surveillance of online / offline activities of
an
Indian
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
# 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
Ø 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
Ø 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
Ø 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 “ .
Ø This will ensure that there is NO SECRET surveillance !
Ø 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
Ø At any time of his choice , concerned citizen can login at this section
and see WHICH
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
Ø 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 .
Ø However, these other Agencies will NOT be able to EDIT any ENTRIES / FINDINGS of any
other agencies
Ø 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
And
# Ensure total TRANSPARENCY of their surveillance activities to the person
being investigated
Ø 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 !
===================================================
Dear Amitbhai Shahji,
( Home Minister )
I urge you to
consider my proposal which , through its TRANSPARENCY, will disarm the petitioners
It will reaffirm
1.4 Billion citizen’s VISHWASH in the Government
With Regards,
Hemen Parekh / hcp@recruitGuru.com / 01
Sept 2021