India Shuts Down Mobile SMS For 'Security'

Hemant writes: "On Friday, March 15th, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in India surprised the cell-phone users by asking the mobile operators to block the highly popular short message service (SMS) for security reasons! The dorks at IB think that underworld dons (mafia and terrorists) within and outside the country were using SMS facilities to coordinate with anti-social elements to spark communal tension across the country. The officials of IB, police and other intelligence agencies believe that SMS facilities should be withdrawn till they can tap a technology to monitor messages. It is easy for the police to 'monitor' a mobile phone, but almost impossible to check SMS. So if you from mafia, you can do email, voice chat, streaming video, anything you want but for sending out vanilla 160 character ASCII text messages!"

IM Advert

[kingosric]

Did anyone else get an advert for "India's Instant Messenger" at the botom of the article?

No Joke

[Anonymous Coward]

Contrary to popular belief, the recent rioting wasn't related to the usual illiterate, masses. Over 700 people were murdered in Gujarat, India and the ringleaders were often guided to minority community homes and shops by instant messages on their mobiles. The Government HAS to do something, especially since the State Government in Gujarat is viewed by most as at least uncaring if not complicit.

What is MOBILE number? What is your style number?

hardly unreasonable

[coyote-san]

Ever use SMS to talk about hot babes without them knowing it?

Now try it again, only talking about a coordinated attack on a crowd. Voice "you take the out the guard by the east door, I'll take out the one on the south side" would warn anyone within earshot, but SMS wouldn't.

Other areas where SMS could be a problem is getting through airport security - if one of your co-hijackers was caught, the others could SMS each other warning them to avoid certain checkpoints, or by somebody outside of a bank robbery in case things go bad and the people inside need to know what the police are up to outside.