India’s Probe Agencies Empowered to Intercept Computer Data

An Indian government order authorizing some federal investigating agencies to intercept any information stored on computer has triggered a strong opposition protest in Parliament that described it as an assault on people's right to privacy.

The opposition parties are demanding an immediate withdrawal of the Home Ministry order. They fear it would give unlimited powers to government agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, India's minister for law and justice and information technology, rejected the opposition charge Friday and said adequate safeguards have been provided to prevent its misuse as it would require authorization from the ministry's top bureaucrat.

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Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet that "the order would convert India into a police state." (VOA)