DoT has asked RIM (Blackberry), Google and Skype to ensure that their data is made accessible to security agencies and is in the format that can be read by security and intelligence agencies.
In 2008, Govt. decoded Blackberry and the standoff ended with government all set to snoop Blackberry data – the issue has now resurfaced and Government plans to give 15 days of deadline to all the mentioned companies.
DoT will call the representatives of Research In Motion (manufacturer of Blackberry devices) and Skype and ask them to ensure that the content going through the telecom service providers is in readable format. They have to ensure that this is implemented within 15 days failing which services that do not allow lawful interception on a real-time basis would be blocked/banned,” said an internal Government note.
Meanwhile, the governement will also decode IT laws to make it mandatory for such foreign companies that do not require a local licence to provide all the data required by Indian law enforcement agencies. Such a law would force companies such as Skype to give complete access to their networks or set up a local server in India to allow security agencies to track content.- – source
It isn’t surprising that government which lacks the basic security infrastructure is not able to decode the encrypted messages from these companies and wants to force them to downgrade their infrastructure.
Again, are we becoming another China, without the Chinese leverage?
