Mumbai safety methods violates privacy
There are only 500 cyber cafes in Mumbai, India. Police requires cafes to have a license for every PC, but that’s not the worst part. Keystroke loggers must be installed on each computer that is rented to the public.
Although the reason for such an act seems logic: to fight terrorism; there are implications for each civilian using those computers. No act on PC can be done without being captured on a record. Email passwords, written messages, visited sites, downloaded pictures, stuff bought online and even credit card details will be stored in police records. One blogger even wrote a concern that all the sensitive information may actually be sold in a black market. And that’s not as unreal as it may seem.
According to theinquirer.net, the same person said he sees some potential for official abuse in this development.
He stated that Mumbai police, just as all the rest in India, consist of people who are overpaid and given powers over others. Therefore, they do have a right to insist on getting licenses from cyber cafes, although common people rights are violated.
Although the violation is obvious there still are some liberty officials who say that the privacy was not invaded. Theinquirer.net quotes: “as long as personal computers are not being monitored. If monitoring is restricted to public computers, it is in the interest of security.”
Some people regarding to this statement started wondering whether this reasoning shouldn’t also make ok placing TV cameras in hotel rooms or recording every conversation in every taxi and train, for terrorist may also use these services.
Doesn’t such safety or, more believably power and control gaining, methods remind of the ones used by cyber criminals and terrorists?
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