CyberLaw Blog

Archive for the ‘India’ Category

Google won’t share encryption keys with Indian sleuths – The Economic Times

16 Dec, 2010, 04.15AM IST, Kalyan Parbat,ET Bureau
Google won’t share encryption keys with Indian sleuths

KOLKATA: Google Inc will not share the encryption keys of its email service with Indian security agencies as it would compromise the privacy rights of millions of Gmail users worldwide, a top company executive said.

The Union home ministry, intelligence agencies and the telecom department are collectively exploring mandatory sharing of software by all communication service companies in India, a sensitive issue with global firms. Some firms have already been asked to comply and Canada’s Research In Motion ( RIM )) is edging closer to January 31, 2011, deadline to hand over the encryption keys for its popular BlackBerry messaging services to intelligence agencies.

Google India products chief Vinay Goel said even if the Indian government requested, it would be impossible to offer real-time access since the Gmail service is governed by US laws. ‘When users entrust their data with us, we are expected to protect it, which is why, user privacy is very important for Google,’ he said.

The Union home ministry or telecom ministry has not asked Google to share the encryption keys for Gmail, but even if the USbased internet search engine giant received such a request, it will be impossible to offer real-time access to Gmail communication, Goel said.

‘But we are not advocating non-compliance and are definitely open to offering the Indian government access to encrypted Gmail communication in the event of a large-scale risk to human life and property,’ he said. Indian authorities are seeking control over communication systems for internal security as intelligence agencies do not have the technical resources to intercept communication services and data transfers on the internet, especially when encryption levels exceed a certain threshold.

The government had two years ago asked all internet service providers in the country to lower encryption levels to better monitor communication systems in the country. Services on low encryption levels are to blame for country’s dismal internet penetration, say internet experts.

IN – Yahoo, Flickr and Microsoft introduce access filters: “(Guardian)
A Guardian investigation has discovered that several internet companies have quietly introduced filters to prevent Indian users from accessing sexual content.

The Yahoo search engine and Flickr photo-sharing site (owned by Yahoo) altered their sites earlier this month to prevent users in India from switching off the safe-search facility. The block also applies to users in Singapore, Hong Kong and Korea. Microsoft has also barred Indian users of its Bing search engine from searching for sexual content. Users who do try to search for sexual material receive a notice informing them that ‘your country or region requires a strict Bing SafeSearch setting, which filters out results that might return adult content’. The clampdown is understood to be in response to recent changes to India’s Information Technology Act of 2000, which bans the publication of pornographic material./p>

(Via QuickLinks Update.)

freedomhouse.org: Freedom on the Net: A Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media

March 30, 2009

As internet and mobile phone use explodes worldwide, governments are adopting new and multiple means for controlling these technologies that go far beyond technical filtering. Freedom on the Net provides a comprehensive look at these emerging tactics, raising concern over trends such as the ‘outsourcing of censorship’ to private companies, the use of surveillance and the manipulation of online conversations by undercover agents. The study covers both repressive countries such as China and Iran and democratic ones such as India and the United Kingdom, finding some degree of internet censorship and control in all 15 nations studied.

Countries included in the study are Brazil, China, Cuba, Egypt, Estonia, Georgia, India, Iran, Kenya, Malaysia, Russia, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey, and United Kingdom.

Also available in PDF format.

Indian court urged to ‘ban Google Earth’: “

Aided Mumbai attacks

Legal advocates have petitioned an Indian court to ban Google Earth following intelligence indicating the satellite imaging site was used to plan last month’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai that killed 170 people.…

“

(Via The Register – Public Sector.)

Google Earth accused of aiding terrorists: “An Indian Court has been called to ban Google Earth amid suggestions the
online satellite imaging was used to help plan the terror attacks that
killed more than 170 people in Mumbai last month.”

(Via Tech and Web from Times Online.)

Engadget 22/05/2008 20:28

Well, it took longer than 15 days to reach a resolution, but apparently RIM is going to back down and allow the Indian government to monitor the Blackberry network in that country. What’s worse, it appears that RIM was more interested in covering its own ass than protecting user data during the negotiations: the only concession the company received from the Indian government was a promise that it won’t be held liable if there’s a leak of users’ personal information. Yeah, that ought to provide a sparkling incentive to keep things safe. There’s no word on when monitoring might begin, but we’ve got a feeling privacy-loving Indians might suddenly be in the market for a new smartphone.

(Via Engadget.)