Stumbled upon this piece of news a couple of days back (catch the full article @ http://www.hindu.com/mag/2009/06/07/stories/2009060750090300.htm) and was instantly alarmed, not because its titled in the name of national security, but because of the sheer importance this article holds. Because its about your privacy, my privacy. Because I've been watching too many films like Enemy of the state and their like. Because a senior babu can be privy to your emails, can block your URL, can round up your ISP to cough up your surfing data (yes, they'll know if you visited all those x-rated websites). So much so for the anonymity you longed for. All this in the name of national security.
Yes, whatever you read in the above paragraph is totally correct. An innocuous sounding The Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008 seeks to give teeth to existing laws on information technology and cyberspace. And it was hastily passed in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. You and I were happily sleeping, our supposed vigilante(?) media, which creates a hue and cry when the Indian team gets out of the T-20 World Cup was sleeping. Everyone, was SLEEPING.
Privacy? What's that? More importantly who cares about privacy? True, national security is important. But providing your babus with absolute powers is quixotic. And all this while the laws remains open to interpretation by these people. And talking about ambiguity (intentional?), sample this- unavoidable circumstances are not defined, remote areas are not defined.
As the case already is with us people, we are not sensitive towards the privacy of other people, we are not aware of our privacy rights and all this clearly reflects in the draft. Looks like we are interested more in taking cue from China when it comes to freedom of expression on the net. We all bear testimony to the fact as to how (in)justice was served in The Pirate Bay case.
The net was the last bastion which offered some sort of anonymity and freedom but by the looks of it, those days are soon going to be over. Big Brother is watching. The gestapo is watching. All this while we are sleeping. Comfortably Dumb??? Yes!!!
The article and ur blog..
Equally good .