Surveillance is one step below Arrest

  

 

Context :

PMLA case: ED must tell accused grounds of arrest, reaffirms top court  ..  HT  … 23 Mar 2024

Extract :

The Supreme Court has dismissed the Union government’s plea to reconsider its judgment that made it mandatory for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to provide a copy of the grounds of arrest to accused in money laundering cases while adding that a mere verbal information would be construed as a breach of constitutional right of arrested persons.

 

My  Take :

Ø  Who watches the Watchmen ?  …………………  12  Jan  2019

 

Extract :

Any agency wanting to conduct surveillance of online / offline activities of an Indian Citizen , shall submit its’  requirement in this section

 

This shall contain details such as :

 

·         Name of the agency

 

·         What activity of the citizen is proposed to be surveyed and for how long

 

[  Multiple selection from the following  ] :

 

#   Visits and postings on Social Media web sites

 

#   Visits and searches on E Commerce web sites

 

#   Searches on Search Engines  /  All digital traffic ( including thru Alexa / Google

     Home type devices )

 

#   Messages sent / received on Messaging Apps /  E Mail services

 

#   Records of Digital Payment Transactions on Banking / FinTech Network

 

#   Audio logs from Landline and Mobile Service Providers for telephonic talks…etc

 

 

Agency will also need to specify the PURPOSE of the proposed surveillance , by selecting one or more of the following suspected reasons ( list is not comprehensive ) :

 

·         Tax Evasion  /  Money Laundering

 

·         Criminal Activity  /   Militancy

 

·         Fraud  /  Breach of Trust

 

·         Anti-National Activity  /  Sedition  /  Treason

 

·         Fake News / Pornographic content posting

 

·         Speeches / articles likely to create enmity among people

 

  

Such a request shall need Online Authorization of , all of the following officers :

 

#   Chief of Agency concerned

 

#   Secretary ( Cyber Security ) – Ministry of Information Technology

 

#   Data Protection Regulator

 

 

 

As soon as such a request is “ Approved / Authorised “ , an email ALERT will go out automatically ( without any human intervention ) to the citizen concerned that she is “ under surveillance “ .

 

 

This will ensure that there is NO SECRET surveillance !

 

 

Copies of this E Mail ALERT will also get sent to all other Intelligence Agencies for a coordinated effort and for avoiding duplication

 

 

  #     SURVEILLANCE  HISTORY  SECTION

 

          At any time of his choice , concerned citizen can login at this section

          and see WHICH Agency surveyed her and for how long

          

 

  #       But the citizen concerned will NOT be able to see following entries by the

           Agency :

 

  #   What was the PURPOSE / REASON for the surveillance

 

  #  WHAT DATA  got collected

 

  #  FINDINGS  and proposed  COURSE of ACTION , if any

 

 

This part will be visible to all other Intelligence Agencies , who will have facility to add their own information / data about the concerned citizen which is in their possession , in order to compile a COMPREHENSIVE  DOSSIER about that citizen .

  

However, these other Agencies will NOT be able to EDIT any ENTRIES / FINDINGS of any other agencies

 

 Although these ENTRIES are NOT accessible to the concerned citizen in a normal course , the same shall be made available to her in case any government agency relies upon these during a Court Case against that citizen , arising from such surveillance

  

My proposal,

 

#  Gives a free hand to the Agencies to proceed with their investigations, without

   needing PRIOR PERMISSION,

 And

 #  Ensure total TRANSPARENCY of their surveillance activities to the persons

    being investigated

 

    

This will assure the ordinary citizens (– and also “ vulnerable “ citizens such as politicians belonging to opposition parties ? )– that they are not being snooped upon secretly !

 

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh

www.HemenParekh.ai  /  26 March 2024