Govt to start monitoring calls for security

The government is planning to set up a centralised agency to monitor phone calls -- both landline and mobile -- a level of surveillance hitherto being done by telecom operators, as part of a security bulwark against terror acts.

The government is planning to set up a centralised agency to monitor phone calls -- both landline and mobile -- a level of surveillance hitherto being done by telecom operators, as part of a security bulwark against terror acts.

HT Image

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.

In the present dispensation, service providers can tap phones and give details on the recommendations of the union home secretary or a designated police official not below the rank of joint secretary.

“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," C-DoT Executive Director PV Acharya told PTI. “Essentially, our technology would provide an interface to the operator of any service or technology and it will give them access to the messages traversing through their network,” he said.