'CMS better protect privacy of individuals'

NEW DELHI: Setting up of Centralised Monitoring System (CMS) for interception of phone calls and other services by this year-end will better protect privacy of individuals and maintain secrecy, according to government officials.

The Cabinet Committee of Security in June, 2011 had approved setting of CMS with a fund of Rs 400 crore to enable government to directly intercept phone calls to track criminal activities without being dependent on telecom operators.

According to Department of Telecom (DoT) officials, CMS authority would be different from the law enforcement agencies. When CMS is in place, security agencies cannot directly intercept and monitor service of an individual. Moreover, CMS authority itself cannot see the content, they added.

Officials said details of CMS authorities as well as security agencies involved in interception of calls will be maintained and these records will be non-erasable.

"This can be examined anytime for misuse. CMS will better protect the privacy of individuals and maintain better secrecy," an official said.

At present, law enforcement agencies like police officers, IB, CBI are required to route their requests through nodal officer appointed by telecom operator who comes to know whose or which phone is being intercepted.

Under CMS, "service providers will not be authorised to carry out the provisioning, diminishing the chances of any unauthorised provisioning", officials said.

Recently, the present phone interception system was allegedly misused by a private spy with help of Delhi police constable to allegedly tap phone of senior leader of opposition party Arun Jaitley.

The CMS programme has to be implemented in three phases with each phase having 13 to 14 months time period.

CMS is expected to be in place for interception of calls in 10 out of 22 service area by December, 2013.