NEW DELHI, Jan. 9 -- The December 2018 notification by the ministry of home affairs, which specified 10 agencies for interception, monitoring and decryption of information under the section 69 of the Information Technology (IT) Act in pursuance of Information Technology Rules 2009, turned into a hot topic of debate. The question the notification raises is: whether the circular diminishes or improves the protection of citizens against misuse of power for surveillance by the agencies.
To my mind, by specifying the list of agencies, the notification streamlines the process of surveillance and, hence, is a positive step. However, fears of unreasonable violation of privacy may not be unfounded.
The problem does not lie in the notification; it ...