India to setup centralized system to monitor communication

[The_Big_K]

Source: PIB Press Release

The Government proposes to set up a centralized system to monitor communications on mobile phones, landlines and the internet in the country. Centralized Monitoring System (CMS) is envisaged to be implemented by DOT to strengthen the security environment in the country. With the implementation of CMS following problems which are inherent in the present system will be overcome.

- In the existing system secrecy can be easily compromised due to manual intervention at many stages while in CMS these functions will be performed on secured electronic link and there will be minimum manual intervention.
- Interception through CMS will be instant as compared to the existing system which takes a very long time.

The envisaged salient features of CMS are as follows:

- Central and regional database which will help Central and State level Law Enforcement Agencies in Interception and Monitoring.
- Direct Electronic Provisioning of target numbers by Government agencies without any manual intervention from Telecom Service Providers (TSPs).
- Filters and Alert creation on the target numbers.
- Call Data Records (CDR) analysis and data mining on CDRs to identify call details, location details etc. of the target numbers.
- R&D in related fields for continuous upgradation of the CMS.

Pilot project of CMS is likely to be started by June, 2010 subject to clearance by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

This reply was given by Shri Gurudas Kamat, Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology in Rajya Sabha today.

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GG/AT/PB

[sarveshgupta]

This seems great keeping in mind the infiltrations and breach of security we have observed over the past few years

But Biggie does this CMS will monitor all the calls even for normal public?

Will it affect privacy?

[ash]

I seriously can't imagine the processing power needed to monitor all of India's communications, without causing any traffic delay or disruption. This is surely going to be a very expensive project!

As sarvesh pointed out, privacy is going to be the prime issue. Does India already have legislation on intercepting calls without warrants?