India's Surveillance State

The substantive legal framework Telephone: Section 5(2), Indian Telegraph Act 1885 Internet: Section 69, Information Technology Act 2000 [Internet data] Section 69B, Information Technology Act [Internet meta-data]

The procedural legal framework Telephone: Rule 419A, Indian Telegraph Rules 1951 Internet: Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Interception, Monitoring and Decryption of Information) Rules 2009 [Internet data] Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Monitoring and Collecting Traffic Data or Information) Rules 2009 [Internet meta-data]

(Contd.) Procurement and review of lawful order

(Contd.) Retrieval of surveillance data

Other enabling provisions of law Section 28, Information Technology Act 2000 Section 29, Information Technology Act 2000 Rule 6, Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules 2011 Rule 3(7), Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules 2011 Rule 7, Information Technology (Guidelines for Cyber Cafe) Rules 2011 Section 91, Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 TSP/ISP licenses

Functional surveillance mechanisms Lawful Interception and Monitoring Systems Primary sources of surveillance data Functionalities and number unknown Central Monitoring System (CMS) Brainchild of the Department of Telecommunications Elimination of manual components from the surveillance process Instant access to surveillance data Call Data Record analysis Total fund allocation: 400 crores

(Contd.) Network Traffic Analysis (NETRA) Designed specifically for Internet surveillance Scans Internet traffic for keywords such as “bomb”, “blast”, “kill” etc. National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) Collation and analysis of data from 21 govt. databases Uses big data and other analytic technologies to build speculative profiles of targets “Outsourced” surveillance

Why should we be worried? No statutory right to privacy Executive monopoly Inadequate consideration of alternatives Lack of transparency

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