• India Threatens to Ban BlackBerry, Google, Skype

    India Threatens to Ban BlackBerry, Google, Skype

    Techtree News Staff, Jul 01, 2010 1745 hrs IST

    Foreign companies must make their data 'readable' to security, intelligence agencies - Government

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The Indian government has asked Research in Motion, Google and Skype to ensure that their data is available in a readable format for security and intelligence agencies. The Department of Telecom (DoT) has offered a time period of 15 days to take appropriate steps for the same. If this does not happen, these services might be banned in India, reported Business Line. Security agencies also pointed out that they are not able to snoop into services offered by Tata Teleservices and Reliance Communications.

Back in August 2008, the government had banned certain BlackBerry services until monitoring (read: snooping) their systems. Once again, BlackBerry, along with Google's Gmail and Skype Voice-over-IP services, are under government security scanner. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Intelligence Bureau, the DoT and the National Technical Research Organisation have, in a meeting, decided to amend IT laws for compelling foreign companies to provide readable data to security and intelligence agencies.

An internal government note says, "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."

A Google spokesperson said that they have not received any communication on this subject from the Indian government as yet. "We will comment if and when we get any letter from the DoT," the spokesperson said. Representatives of Google would be called to ensure that Gmail is also in a readable format. But Google has been using secured socket layer by default for Gmail from quite a while now.

Also, the voice-over-IP calling service Skype will be contacted and asked to provide complete access to its networks. If that is not possible, it will have to setup a local server in India for security agencies to analyze the content passing through it.

Security is the center focus here but its outcome would be ambiguous as we doubt whether Google, RIM or Skype would alter their encryption standards for security agencies' sake.



 

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Discussion Board
(15) Comments
Sajith M
,Bangalore, on Jul 02, 2010 12:45 PM
Why is the government so intent on snooping on the private citizens. And what happened to the thing called privacy? Deplorable step coming from the government of the largest democracy.
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Sagar
,Pune, on Jul 02, 2010 02:46 PM
Its for our own safety dude...... terrorists are using these services knowing that they can not be traced...
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Wizzard
,Oz, on Aug 14, 2010 06:28 AM
Sorry "dude". Those who demand security by sacrificing privacy deserve and will receive neither.
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unknown
,mumbai , on Jan 18, 2012 01:36 PM
government is using it's power way to much m pathetically pissed off it's not just that india is going through problems every country is, that doesn't mean google and wikipedia and facebook should be banned ...it's just like u cut ur hand off cause u can write bad things with it ! ..doesn't makes sense . everything has a good and bad side of it !
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unknown
,mumbai , on Jan 18, 2012 01:32 PM
google or any other sites shouldn't be banned if google is banned Indian government should ban homework projects assignments etc ..i don't think teachers will love made up theories they will commit suicide ..from whole india out of more than 24 million population they r just looking at the few ppl who commit cyber crimes what abt rest all???? crime takes place all over the world banning google or site won't help people google things they get the appropriate results sometimes they may not share personal problems with doctor cause it gets awkward google helps there banning it is a reckless and the most insane decision i've ever heard ..google shouldn't b banned it's like a daily part of life i think government should rather look in too economic problems cyber crime will be handled by cyber department no need to interfere ...shenanigans it just doesn't makes sense !
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Ghost
,GhostLand, on Jul 03, 2010 05:06 PM
They can do it but must do it responsibily. Public support this for their safety only. I dont care coz i dont use tech for terror activity or any illigal stuffs so i dont need to be scared. One wrong traget can lead to public loosing faith in govt.s way of work and then govt. can not hold public anger and protest. Coz this isnt China.
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Wizzard
,Oz, on Aug 14, 2010 06:25 AM
Sorry, don't buy that idea your shovelling. The innocent would have nothing to fear you think? Wouldn't bet tuppence. Don't trust my own gov. Why should I trust a foreign state I don't know and can't influenced? Sure bad people do bad things. Doesn't mean that we should have all our phones tapped and cameras in our houses just in case....
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manu
,Thiruvanathapuram, on Jul 06, 2010 03:22 PM
without Google techies can't able to exsist !!!!!!!!!!!
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Vinod Varma
,Chennai, on Jul 03, 2010 10:55 AM
Every other Government, including in western countries, insist on details pertaining to securities if recent news are anything to go by; and are we not accommodative all these in other countries (eg. security check at Airport)?. I do believe Government is very much within its right and responsibilities. Yes, without fool-proof mechanism (read "corruption free") to ensure that information does not reach wrong hands (through the Government which is meant to be protective), this is dangerous... But are we not exposed to danger even otherwise (refer news related privacy issues with respect to Facebook)?
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Akshay
,bangalore, on Jul 03, 2010 10:27 AM
India - i want you to understand that you should not try to ban technology taking india forward. Instead try developing technology in the direction of the future to secure the indian
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Sujal
,New Delhi, on Jul 02, 2010 04:08 PM
I will actually die without Google! :(
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Deepak
,Chennai, on Jul 02, 2010 10:33 AM
I have a question guys...If implemented, does this affect the security of our personal data (read as gmail etc)....i mean does this in anyway provide easy access of our mail accounts etc to hacker community?
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sanjay
,bangalore, on Jul 02, 2010 09:22 AM
i am all for security..but this does not mean that we go back centuries wrt technology advancement and kill creative application of technology..as it is only 10% of indias population is internet connected...security from other 90% of indias population is languishing...is government looking at that too. security threat is always there from any technological development..cars can be used for terrorism activities,so can planes and computers..and so can telephone and mobile....how far will we go to give technology as an excuse for not pulling up out own socks.
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Vinod Varma
,Chennai, on Jul 02, 2010 08:53 AM
I am glad to see that Government of India is wide awake to this concern. It is very much within power and responsibility of the government . Balance between security of society and privacy of individual is very delicate. I hope they get it right!
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Saket Iyer
,Rasayani, on Jul 01, 2010 08:54 PM
Blah blah blah blah...All the Indian govt can do. RETARDS!!!
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