India Says Law Permits Agencies To Snoop on Citizens' Devices (techcrunch.com) 35
The Indian government said on Tuesday that it is "empowered" to intercept, monitor, or decrypt any digital communication "generated, transmitted, received, or stored" on a citizen's device in the country in the interest of national security or to maintain friendly relations with foreign states. From a report: Citing section 69 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and section 5 of the Telegraph Act, 1885, Minister of State for Home Affairs G. Kishan Reddy said local law empowers federal and state government to "intercept, monitor or decrypt or cause to be intercepted or monitored or decrypted any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource in the interest of the sovereignty or integrity of India, the security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above or for investigation of any offence." Reddy's remarks were in response to the parliament, where a lawmaker had asked if the government had snooped on citizens' WhatsApp, Messenger, Viber, and Google calls and messages.
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I think people need a lesson on the difference between public and private. ANYTHING said over a radio wave signal is public. Period. The physics demand it.
If you think a telephone call is private, you are an idiot. Or as the joke from the Simpsons spoof of 24 said:
"Is this a secure line?"
"My side is, but you are on a cell phone, using a Bluetooth headset, literally the least secure communications method known to man".
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I do expect that encrypted communication is between me and whatever party I communicate with. If it isn't, it's time to get rid of the communication channel and replace it with a secure one.
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Encryption only gets you so far. You shouldn't say anything over an encrypted system that you wouldn't shout from your rooftop.
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Since then, we've invented q-bit computers....
Re: Heads need to start rolling (Score:1)
That's what encryption is for.
Failing that, it's what the Second Amendment is for.
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Only an idiot trusts that technology made by the oligarchy will not serve the oligarchy when they choose.
Re: Heads need to start rolling (Score:1)
An idiot or a mathematician.
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Sorry you got modded down. That was not a troll. Its absolute truth cannot be denied. Until we can 3D print our own circuitry, it's best to assume everything is compromised.
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Thank you for repeating the point in a different way
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Too bad it has to be repeated. It should be self evident.
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I prefer the older version - "three men can keep a secret, if two of them are dead."....
National Security (Score:4, Insightful)
The "go to" excuse for being a dictatorship/tyrannical government while simultaneously "acting" like you are not.
People have this problem where they like to wait until it is too late to put a check on uncontrolled government abuse.
Hong Kong is a living example right now. If you are not prepared to fight for your freedom then accept the fact that you are going to lose it. Because the government is more than willing to fight you for anything it believes serves it's interests.
The law of the jungle is the supreme ruler of all things on Earth and this fact is immutable. The pen has never been mightier than the sword...
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Jeez, you actually believe that drivel of one country, two systems? The CCP cannot handle that and will always work to subsume the second system into their own corrupt Orwellian Dream State.
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People have this problem where they like to wait until it is too late to put a check on uncontrolled government abuse. (...) The pen has never been mightier than the sword...
Nobody's so late to the party as those clutching their guns in silence waiting for the right time to come out guns blazing as some sort of revolutionary hero to rescue the sheeple. Whether what's happening in Hong Kong right now is protests or riots it's not an armed insurrection, they're still waving pens and the police swords. Which is not to say it'll never come down to guns and bullets, obviously it's done so in the past and it could happen again. But until it gets that bad, the entire slippery slope fr
Think of the children! (Score:1)
Might hold for UK too! (Score:3, Informative)
When India got independence it accepted all the British penal code not explicitly overridden by acts of the Indian parliament. It led to funny situations, like a British woman who became a communistic terrorist (called Naxalite) was imprisoned. The jail warden ruled she was eligible for chicken while her fellow terrorists were given gruel, citing some 1800s prison manual that prescribed different treatment for European prisoners!
So it is very much possible for the UK government to dig through its penal code and find justification for intercepting electronic communications to its citizens too.
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So unless superseded by another act after 1947, that law might apply to UK too.
Provide Clean Water and Stop Street Pooping 1st (Score:1)
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One gets the picture of the Pakistan hordes lined up at the border and when the order to charge is issued, half trip and fall over, the other half charge away from India because they aren't THAT stupid.
Well, at least they are being honest (Score:2)
About being scum, that is. Most governments and their agents try to hide that fact.
Shocking (Score:4, Informative)
Considering, e.g., the Indian government’s history with BlackBerry [google.com], is anyone actually surprised by this?
Using Wimpy's logic for foreign policy (Score:3)
"...or to maintain friendly relations with foreign states."
Translation: "We'll gladly give you the data today if you'll start a business here tomorrow."
What about Non-Citizens? (Score:2)
Fair game anyway, I suppose.
This is South Asia (Score:1)
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On the contrary. The government is a good reflection of the population's authoritarian nature.
69! (Score:2)
"Citing section 69 of the Information Technology Act..." :P