Govt to Monitor Phone Calls, Internet Chat to Trace Terror Threats

Following terror threats, the government is intending to establish a centralized system to monitor communication on mobile phones, landlines and the internet.

According to information, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT), a telecom research and development organisation, is working on the Telecom Security project, which will help the government to monitor both calls in the country through a centralised system.

P V Acharya, C-DoT Executive Director, said talking about the project: “It is viewed as a national project … Basically, it is about monitoring certain messages or conversations so that we can ensure security of the country.”

“Essentially, our technology would provide an interface to operator of any service or technology and it will give them access to the messages traversing through their network,” he said.

As for present system of surveillance, individual operators manage it, and a phone call is tapped and call details are given when law enforcement agencies ask for them.

To monitor military links (wireless) of other countries, the government has a Signal Intelligence Agency, which is a joint service organisation manned by personnel from the army, navy and air force.

Nevertheless, it does not have a centralised monitoring system for voice calls on the mobile, landlines and internet. The government has not yet decided on how the surveillance system will work.

“We will just provide an opportunity to this … but how this would be done depends on the agreement between the operators and the government,” Acharya said.

Acharya refused to give technical details of the project and said that the first phase of the project will cost Rs 400 crore. It will end next year.

The need for lawful intervention is being felt more after the terror attacks in November last year, when the terrorists were in contact with their instructors on the phone.