Now, RAW can legally intercept calls, e-mails

[Galaxy]

Now, RAW can legally intercept calls, e-mails

Amid a raging controversy over its plan to screen social media, the UPA government has added and notified the external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), to the list of eight agencies to intercept phone calls, e-mails and data communications.

Highly placed government sources said the RAW's addition to the list is aimed at giving it a legal cover for intercepting phone calls, e-mails and voice and data communication domestically. This is the first time that the R&AW, since it was formed in 1967, has been authorised to tap phone calls. The sources said the notification was issued by the Home Ministry recently.

The move came nearly two weeks after The Hindu carried a series of write-ups, working in collaboration with WikiLeaks, on communications intelligence capabilities. The sources said the RAW would not be able to deploy its communication interception equipment at international gateways to snoop on all forms of data, be it international telephony emanating from India or any form of electronic data including e-mails.

The sources pointed out that investigators had tapped conversations of terrorists, who attacked Mumbai on November 26, 2008, getting instructions from their handlers in Pakistan. "For such an evidence to be admissible legally, it was felt that it must be given legal sanctity," the sources said.

Significantly, it was only last year that the Union government faced flak from courts on phone tapping, prompting it to tell the States to adhere to the guidelines strictly.

On the questions of a citizen's rights and privacy, the Home Ministry had reiterated that law enforcement agencies could tap phones of any individual for security or operational reasons for 72 hours even without permission from the Union Home Secretary or the State Home Secretary.

In such a case, if the agency concerned does not get permission, it will have to destroy the tapped conversations within 48 hours, official sources said.

All requests by the Central government agencies, including those under the Finance Ministry and the Central Bureau of Investigation, need the approval of the Union Home Secretary. But senior officials admit that the goof-ups have put a question mark on the integrity of the system which is not foolproof. They do not rule out the possibility of more innocent citizens being put on the list of suspects.

The Hindu : News / National : Now, RAW can legally intercept calls, e-mails

 

[agentperry]

RAW only reports to prime minister and he is not supposed to brief its working in parliament, this things will only give it a legal face and nothing else.

 

[p2prada]

There is nobody to monitor the 48 hours and deleted thing. However I don't mind not supporting this policy. Too many bangbros in our country and let RAW scare them, including our corporate honchos.

 

[sayareakd]

Forget RAW, our police does illegal tapping all the time, i know a incident where my friend was not only tapped but his location was traced ad, he was caught in other state, (he was not charged or anything) since his father was influential.

 

[Tshering22]

So CONgress is going to use RAW to silence civilians eh? After Sibal's plan was snubbed by people, this tyrannical government is going to snoop on people's calls.

What's the bet that not a SINGLE LET or JUD terrorist will be caught with this? Only to harass civilians.

 

[Singh]

Forget RAW, our police does illegal tapping all the time, i know a incident where my friend was not only tapped but his location was traced ad, he was caught in other state, (he was not charged or anything) since his father was influential.

I know a guy who is quite influential, he has all his rivals's phones tapped. Whenever they make or receive a call, he gets to know, can snoop in on the conversation and record it.

Another, whenever you call or receive a call from Pakistan, your phone number automatically gets highlighted. If you call up a Pakistani number, sometimes you get a call from mobile phone operators asking you if you do realize you called up Pakistan. This is also due to Indian and Pakistani numbers being similar.

 

[plugwater]

So CONgress is going to use RAW to silence civilians eh? After Sibal's plan was snubbed by people, this tyrannical government is going to snoop on people's calls.

What's the bet that not a SINGLE LET or JUD terrorist will be caught with this? Only to harass civilians.

Needless rant!

you would not know even if some terrorists are caught .

 

[Payeng]

RAW only reports to prime minister and he is not supposed to brief its working in parliament, this things will only give it a legal face and nothing else.

To the cabinet to be precise, so RAW is extempted from RTI Act.

 

[Payeng]

So CONgress is going to use RAW to silence civilians eh? After Sibal's plan was snubbed by people, this tyrannical government is going to snoop on people's calls.

What's the bet that not a SINGLE LET or JUD terrorist will be caught with this? Only to harass civilians.

Lol with you CON act, anyways I think it is no secret that Indian secret service do snoop into phone calls, now the difference is intercepting and taping calls became a law to the disappointment of a few.

Couple of years back I remember watching a documentary in discover channel, where it said that every call every where in the world is being intercepted/recorded for security purpose.

 

[p2prada]

Forget RAW, our police does illegal tapping all the time, i know a incident where my friend was not only tapped but his location was traced ad, he was caught in other state, (he was not charged or anything) since his father was influential.

I know a guy who is quite influential, he has all his rivals's phones tapped. Whenever they make or receive a call, he gets to know, can snoop in on the conversation and record it.

You guys sure have funny friends.

Lol with you CON act, anyways I think it is no secret that Indian secret service do snoop into phone calls, now the difference is intercepting and taping calls became a law to the disappointment of a few.

What was done illegally before will now be done legally.

Couple of years back I remember watching a documentary in discover channel, where it said that every call every where in the world is being intercepted/recorded for security purpose.

The Americans can tap every single cellphone in the world at anytime. Pretty much anytime.

 

[Singh]

Lol with you CON act, anyways I think it is no secret that Indian secret service do snoop into phone calls, now the difference is intercepting and taping calls became a law to the disappointment of a few.

Couple of years back I remember watching a documentary in discover channel, where it said that every call every where in the world is being intercepted/recorded for security purpose.

At least 2-3 decades back, US had the capabilities to record your calls if you said some specific trigger words. Now its even more advanced.

RAW and other agencies have already spent around 1-2 billion dollars on such equipment. They can for eg now snoop in on all conversations within a few mile radius.

However, at present they are also busy snooping on rival politicians at the behest of the government. This can soon change if the intelligence reforms (Manish Tewari co-authored) are enacted.

 

[pankaj nema]

We were recently told about many sleeper cells of IM - LET and spy modules of ISI having been busted

Wonder where do ALL these people go

LOOKS like GOI / IB / RAW have secret places where such people are kept and finally disposed off

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Technology has run way ahead of law, and as we see a common sentiment is,"Why worry if you don't do anything wrong?"

 

[nrj]

Phones are tapped all the time by political parties in power. No news about it.

Experts from a private agency found that Justice Hegde's phones (both mobile phone and landline at his residence) were tapped.

Interestingly, when Deccan Herald learnt about phone-tapping, it had contacted Hegde on July 15. He had then said he was not aware of his phone being tapped. The staff in his office had told this paper that the call-tracking device was procured by the Bangalore police, following the serial blasts in 2008, to track calls of suspected terrorists. But it was being used to track the calls of the Lokayukta. "The government wants to find its enemies and with whom the Lokayukta is in contact with," the sources had stated.

DFI

Ordinary civilians should not complain when RAW/IB are monitoring calls for their own god damn safety!

 

[sayareakd]

The Americans can tap every single cellphone in the world at anytime. Pretty much anytime.

since uncle and raw are working over time i will use this

 

[The Messiah]

Even if they hear it will not be admissible in court unless it is authorized by the court itself.