On Thursday, December 20, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reportedly passed an order allowing 10 central agencies to monitor and decrypt “any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource.”
The MHA has authorised Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Bureau of Investigation; National Investigation Agency, Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW), Directorate of Signal Intelligence (For service areas of Jammu & Kashmir, North-East and Assam only) and even the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, to conduct the snooping, reported The Hindu.
The authorisation has been given under 69(1) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 read with rule 4 Information Technology Rules, 2009.
According to the order, if a subscriber, service provider or any person in-charge of the computer resource fails to extend all facilities and technical assistance to the agencies, they will invite a seven-year imprisonment and a fine.
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