After extending the deadline to Blackberry™ to open up its servers to security agencies to monitor data flowing through it (or else), the Indian government is now threatening Google™ and Skype™. Orwellian home ministry officials have demanded “access to everything” from “any company with a telecoms network”.
Such insecurity passes in the name of security. Having access to “encrypted data”, the mandarins believe, will thwart terrorism through the telephone and internet, as if the terror-mongers cannot find newer ways. That fear is being happily used to write off privacy and personal liberty, as if they no longer matter in a democracy.
Although the moves will affect millions, there has been little opposition or aggression from the people’s representatives, media or industry bodies, even as Blackberry’s competitors like Nokia™ have used the Chidambaram-sent opportunity to tout their new security-compliant systems.
Questions: Should Blackberry, Google and Skype open up? Are you willing to open up every facet of life in the name of security? Will these measures stop terrorism? Just because other countries have allowed similar monitoring, should we too? Or is this just another figleaf that the Union home ministry is using to pry into out lives?
churumuri 
I don’t see the fuss in the companies opening up to the Indian gov’t. Its not as if they know what to do with it :)
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It’s insane if you think about the amount of data “opening up” implies. The government cannot handle passport issuances online or through PSKs (which is a big security undertaking by itself) in a timely manner. There are scores of legal cases yet to see justice (if at all justice can be served to the people). Rampant red-tapism will ensure (even if there is a threat found like a needle in a haystack) that we will know the security breach only after the attack (much as the one in Mumbai).
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@Karihaida …thats exactly the reason that I dont want the govt to have the data, trust me , I have seen the inner workings of the govt IT dept
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what does the government think of itself? Are they peeping toms? In the name of security they cannot have access to everything. If they are interested in providing security, first let them provide good policing. Cops in India are the biggest thieves and have no professionalism, courtesy or self respect. Police should be changed to “poli”gaLu! Whenever I see a poli in India, I feel like asking roll call aaytha guru!
Parliamentarians should also first analyze how well they have managed to go by the constitution of India.
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The same fellows who blow hot and cold about privacy issues will blame the govt when a bomb goes off somewhere and then blame the govt for not tracking the phone/emails.
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Government will get access to all the data from all service providers, and then a terrorist will hack the server, and perform a better planned attack. The whole point is dose Indian government has the capability to keep the data about security, secure?
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Yes, I think they should open up…
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http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?265192
Outlook claims that Government has been evasdropping for sometime now but nothing useful has ever been intercepted.
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LP,
It is likely the fellows blowing hot and cold about privacy issues are not sitting in India – including those on this forum. If bomb goes off somewhere, they will sit back and take in the entertainment. Of course they will blame the government too.
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Blackberry and Government of India work out Information Sharing Plan
By Narayana
After many months of intense negotiations and frequent posturing Research in Motion and Government of India seem to be coming to an acceptable solution. Since Research in Motion did not have architectural clarity on what needs to be done I prepared a note on possible functional requirements and circulated among various blogs and opinion makers. Since RIM and GOI are coming to an acceptable solution I presume that this note reached all the parties and they realized modality for working out the information sharing. Here is the note that is now being circulated for wider audience to prep them for the things that will come out now!!!
1) Technology: Since RIM claimed its inability to intercept the encrypted messages it is suggested that it make patches to operating system on the mobile phone. The patch will change the default settings of the message and mail client. Every time a message or mail is composed, a BCC address will get added to message without sender or recipient’s knowledge. This BCC address will be some thing like “mamu@government_of_india.com” (here afterwards called mamaji address)..All the messages will get sent to mamaji by default.. if you want to alter default setting.. there will be customer service address called “mamoolji”..Description of “mamoolji” is being worked out at present.
2) Mandatory Paper filing: Since electronic communications are notoriously unreliable “Government of India” wishes to make filing of paper copy of each of these message mandatory. These paper copies will help GoI track and search through message even when all the online services are down. Paper filing will be in addition to electronic transmission to mamaji.
3) Onus of Responsibility: Since messages are created at the carrier, carriers are treated as closer to source of truth and hence carriers will have the onus of responsibility to comply with all the filing requirements.
4) Technology of creating a paper copy: It is upto carriers to decide how they want to take a paper copy of the messages sent. However GoI would like to suggest following architecture.
mamaji address should be so configured to retain the copy of the mail in sent mail folder. This will help the carrier to print the messages on paper for mandatory paper filing.
5) Architecture Audits: Since GoI wants to ensure the technology is foolproof it wishes to conduct biweekly audits of every carrier using blackberry to ensure sentmail folders are properly configured.
6)Number of filings: At present Information and Broadcasting, Finance, External Affairs, Defense and Home ministries have expressed their desire to see the content of intercepted messages.. So every message needs to filed with these five ministries.
7) Number of copies: Each filing should be done in triplicate. The message should be printed on A1 sheet on one side only.(so in all there will be 15 copies that need to be sent to different ministries)
8) Mode of filing: The messages along with supporting documentation should be filed using FALTU form.
9)FALTU form: FALTU stands for Federally Administered eLectronic Transmission Under observation form. No filing is accepted unless this FALTU form is filled with the messages being filed.
10)How to fill FALTU form: FALTU form needs to filled in total without leaving anything blank. It needs among other details , the name, address, phone number and ration card details of the sender and recipient.
11) What if you do not have ration card: The senders and receivers who do not have ration card should file an affidavit that they do not ration card. The affidavit should be executed on a legal note of Rs 10 dollar in front of a district magistrate
12) Additional documents: Along with FALTU form all the supporting documentation should be filed using color copies of originals such as ration card, electric bill etc.. These supporting documents should also be in triplicate and they should be notarized.
13)NRI filing: In the event the message sender or receiver are outside India they need to first authorize FALTU form from a Consul General of India. The process for authorization from Consul General of India is in addition to filing with ministries.. So NRIs have to file 18 copies.. 3 additional copies for the Consul General of India.
14)Filing fee: Every FALTU form should be accompanied by a demand draft for Rs. 10 bought at State Bank of India, “Con”-not Place Delhi. In the case of NRI filing the fee will be Rs. 1000. If either sender or receiver is SC/ST or OBC there will be no filing fee. But filer has to attach 15 certified copies of his and his father’s birth certificate.
15) FALTU Storage: Since Government of India attaches the highest significance to this filing it will build a world class FALTU storage where all the forms and documents will be stored.
16) FALTU storage Key details: FALTU storage will have ultra modern security. It will have a master key and 5 slave keys. Master key will be in the custody of Gandhi family because they have shown remarkable maturity in guarding the closets. 5 slave keys will be auctioned off to highest bidders by five of the ministries mentioned above. The storage can be opened only when all the master and slave keys are inserted together.
17) FALTU storage operations: Since volume of paper work is significant it is proposed that operations of FALTU storage be done under National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme where significant idle capacity to undertake FALTU work is available. However GoI is still deliberating on this and an empowered Group of Ministers (GoM) is looking into this. If the operations of FALTU is taken over by NREG.. the filers have to file additional three copies of all the forms with ministry of rural development in addition to ministries already mentioned.
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