What is the issue?
A range of measures for surveillance by various government departments suggest a declining nature of privacy.
What are the noteworthy proposals?
- MHA - The latest is the home ministry’s (MHA) step to create a centralised database of fingerprints. Click here to know more
- It aims at linking all police stations and state fingerprint databases across India to CCTNS.
- Reportedly, MHA is also repeatedly asking for access to the Unique Identification Authority of India's (UIDAI) biometric database.
- It contains the data for over one billion citizens.
- SEBI - A panel set up by the Securities and Exchange Board of India has recently recommended some powers for SEBI.
- It provides for the market regulator to wiretap and record phone calls.
- This is in order to enhance SEBI's ability to monitor insider trading.
- Internet - The Netra (Network Traffic Analysis) system for internet monitoring has been operational for several years.
- But its exact capabilities are unknown since it is shielded from the Right to Information Act owing to security implications.
- Social Media - The government is considering creating a social media monitoring hub.
- This is to enable “360-degree monitoring” of the social media activity of netizens.
- This was put on hold only after the Supreme Court observed that it would be “like creating a surveillance state”.
- Bill - The draft legislation of the Personal Data Protection Bill 2018 was recently given by the Srikrishna Committee.
- It gives wide powers to the government to collect and process data in order to exercise the functions of the state.
- Notably the powers can be used, without taking the consent of citizens.
- So there is a concern that it does little to limit the powers of government agencies.
What are the concerns?
- The steps lead to apprehensions of India becoming a surveillance state with unchecked and growing powers to spy on citizens.
- Also, the SC's judgment recognising the right to privacy as a fundamental right is being undermined in practice.
- There is thus a need for specific laws limiting the surveillance powers of governments.
- The legal checks are more crucial with technological advancements making surveillance systems even more invasive.
Source: Business Standard
