Enhancing capacity to protect cyber, telephony data: Sibal

By
Daily Excelsior
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NEW DELHI, Aug 23:
India has conveyed its concerns to the US over reported monitoring of internet traffic from the country and is working on enhancing capacity to protect data and information flows, the Rajya Sabha was informe today.
Communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said during Question Hour that government has taken “note of disclosures by foreign media reports in June, 2013 about extensive electronic surveillance programmes deployed by the US agencies.”
The violation of any Indian law relating to privacy of information of ordinary Indian citizens by surveillance programmes was “unacceptable”, he said.
“It would be a matter of concern for government if intrusive data capture has been deployed against Indian citizens or government infrastructure. Government has clearly conveyed these concerns to the US government,” he said.
Sibal, however, said US agencies only trace origin and destination of the data, but never try to get access to the content, which requires a court approval.
Meanwhile, government is working to enhance its capacity to protect data and information flows by building better cyber and telephony infrastructure and by evolving new cyber and telecom security practices, he said.
“Government is promoting Indian players in the IT field to develop and offer internet services by having their servers located in India, in order to protect the interests and secrecy of communication of India citizens,” Sibal said.
Government is also working with international fora for promoting the evolution of better international internet governance norms through ongoing discussions.
India is actively involved in the deliberations of United Nations Group of Government Experts on developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security, he said.
“Government is committed to protection of citizen’s right as enshrined in the Constitution of India irrespective of the media used for communication,” he added. (PTI)

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