Interception policy with DoT: We need facility only, says HM

New Delhi, July 27 (PTI) Making it clear that service
providers like Blackberry, Nokia push mail or Skype will have
to provide interception facility, Indian Home Minister P
Chidambaram has asked the Telecom Department to frame policies
which will allow services to be intercepted when required.
Rejecting the charge that his ministry was rigid with
Canadian smart phone manufacturer, BlackBerry, on the issue of
interception, he said. "It is not vendor specific.
"It is for all service providers, all vendors. Policy
would be laid down by the DoT. Ministry of Home Affair's role
is only to point out that whatever services allowed in India
under the policy.
"In the case of security, where security interests are
involved, we must be able to intercept...MHA's role is to tell
the DoT that whatever policy they adopt, please ensure that if
security considerations arise, we have the right to intercept
and there is a way to intercept. Thats all," Chidambaram told
PTI.
Asked how his ministry will ensure that the intercepted
material is not misused, he said, "I am not a technical
person. That is for the DoT to tell us how to intercept.
"Our demand is, our request is that we must have the
right to intercept and access the message or the data that is
passed. That is all the MHA's role.
"If I invoke security I must have the right to
intercept. How to intercept etc etc I am not a technical
person. That DoT must advice us."Chidambaram said, "The role of MHA and DoT must be
understood. The policy is theirs but while framing the policy
they must provide for right to intercept."
The statement of the home minister comes at a time when
smart-phone manufacturer Blackberry has been asked to give
compliance report by August 15 on how to intercept its
Enterprise Mail system.
The Home Ministry had asked the Department of Telecom
(DoT) to ensure access to all encrypted data including that of
international players such as Blackberry, Skype and even
Gmail.
India's security agencies have complained that they are
unable to decipher encrypted data sent on Blackberry handsets,
made by Canadian company Research In Motion, or intercept
calls on Skype.
In order to meet these norms, Blackberry and Google
might have to place servers in India. PTI SKL
ASR