Nationwide Snooping System Launched In India

knwny writes "The Times of India reports that 'India has launched a wide-ranging surveillance program that will give its security agencies and even income tax officials the ability to tap directly into e-mails and phone calls without oversight by courts or parliament, several sources said.'" Adds an anonymous reader: "What's chilling is the comments from senior officials indicating that parts of the program are already live, without absolutely any discussion in public about it."

Who should blame them?

[Pieroxy]

I guess the US government isn't going to blame them publicly... good timing.

What point does public discussion serve?

[fustakrakich]

They will just do it anyway, a bit more covertly perhaps. Public opinion is bullshit. The majority of us are against war (I assume), yet we are at war. We hate congress, yet reliably reelect almost all of them. Eh, that's politics for ya. Doesn't matter the country.

Re:Business as usual

[SuricouRaven]

Encryption isn't enough - encrypted communications stand out like a sore thumb as a sign you are hiding something, and the metadata alone can still be powerful if abused. To be truly effective, the encryption needs to be universal - so easy to use that even people who have no idea what encryption is still use it by default. When all the pictures of cats are encrypted, then it'll be all but impossible for any government to extract usable intelligence from the overwhelming flow of trivial noise.

self fulfilling prophecy

[hurwak-feg]

The irony of governments paranoid enough to spy on their own people because they are out to get them is that the spying will make the people out to get them. It seems the adversarial relationship between government and citizens (subjects?) is often strengthened (as in creates further conflict) by the entity with the influence to create a more cooperative relationship. Having a more cooperative attitude and doing whats best for the state is what will keep governments stable and in power. The mindset of the government officials making these decisions seems like the frame of mind someone unfortunate enough to be inflicted with Paranoid Schizophrenia would have. This raises the question of how to we prevent paranoid people from getting into government roles?

Re:What point does public discussion serve?

[SirGeek]

Having the public outraged against war is what got the soldiers OUT of Viet Nam before they were all massacred. People can do something, the problem is that too many people are currently more concerned with who won American Idol, or the next episodes of Big Brother, etc.

People need to stop the "I'm not doing something wrong so who cares" attitude. The point is what happens if a wrong number calls you and They ARE doing something bad, you're now "Associated" with that person so they're going go through you you wouldn't believe. And for what ? Receiving a call from a WRONG NUMBER ?

THATs the problem. They can do what they want, to whomever they wish, for any reason (or no reason other than "Your name looks funny, You must be doing something wrong."

Stop calling it snooping

[Anonymous Coward]

"Snooping" is when your harmless 80-year-old neighbor peers out between the blinds to see who you've invited over to visit. The term "snooping" implies harmlessness, whereas government (and its fundamental tool of physical force) is anything but harmless.

What government does is called spying, because government is a coercive authority, not an equal.

This is similar to how the media constantly uses the term "cracking down" to describe oppression. The term "cracking down" not only implies good intentions, but necessity -- yet the victims of the "crackdown" tell a completely different story, every single time.

Re:Code monkey see, code monkey do

[sl4shd0rk]

Soon it will be everyone.

You mean, Soon we will find it has been everyone.

Re:Code monkey see, code monkey do

[Anonymous Coward]

This is the real damage the NSA has done in spying on the American people. Now every other country feels like they need it, because the US does. In the west, it used to be bashed as something only oppressive regimes did. Soon it will be everyone.

The whole NSA spying is the knee-jerk reaction to terrorism and the stupidity of the US electorate who elected the politicians who enabled the NSA- every asshole in Congress who voted for the PATRIOT Act is as fault here and every person who keeps voting for those assholes is at fault too.

BUT, our assholes wouldn't have been able to do it if it weren't for other assholes who are under the impression that indiscriminate violence against people (terrorism) will allow them to achieve their goals. I mean, since 9/11, has ANY of Al-Qaeda's goal been achieved?

No.

The only thing they caused was further hardships on their Muslim "brothers", increased contempt of the religion they think they follow (Muslims, many look down on you because of Al-Qaeda and their ilk.), and more power to the despots that control their home governments.

Or let's look at the IRA. The best they got out of the English was a bone thrown to them.

Who's doing it right? Tibet.

No matter how hard the Chinese try, they just can't seem to make Tibet look bad. And why is that?

The Tibetans aren't blowing up towers filled with innocent people.

Survelience State

[nickmh]

Not many seem to get how close to tyranny we are getting! The next economic crisis will probably finish democracy and any semblance of individual freedom off. The collective is gaining ground aided by the state. All we'll end up is one collective competing against the other. And it’ll all be for the "Common good". When you manage to get the focus of individuals onto the "common good". Any denial of individuality and freedom/s can be justified. Not long now tick tick tick.....