NEW DELHI, India -- The government here already tracks e-mail and wireless phone calls. Now it wants to tap the text messages that get zapped back and forth on the country's cellular network.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, which frames policies regarding security issues, wants wireless service providers to install equipment that makes it possible to tap text messages sent via short message service, or SMS. The Ministry of Communications is pressuring companies to comply.
Surveillance has increased with the upsurge in terrorist activities, many of which appear to be organized by the Islamic terror network. Terrorists attacked the Indian Parliament on Dec. 13, 2001, and stormed a temple in the western state of Gujarat two months ago, killing over 25 people.
That may be the reason industry group representatives say providers will go along -- despite the huge costs associated with installing surveillance equipment.
"The government has been seeking information from the industry regarding this (tapping of SMS)," said T.V. Ramachandran of the Cellular Operators Association of India. "We will cooperate with the government on the issue."
According to the Ministry of Communications, India's 9 million cellular subscribers exchange over 25 million text messages a day. Providers charge customers between 3 and 6 cents for each text message they send, but monitoring messages does not generate any money.
It costs wireless providers $100,000 to $200,000 to add surveillance capability to a 500,000-line network, according to Manji Matharu of Sotas, a telecom software company. Ramachandran added that all wireless companies' networks are not geared to allow SMS tapping. For these companies, the cost of installation of the equipment could be higher.
This isn't the first time the government has pushed businesses to help it snoop on its citizens.
Internet service providers here are required to monitor e-mail as part of their licensing conditions. Also, cellular companies have installed equipment that allows simultaneous tapping of up to 180 lines from all service providers in each of the country's 21 telecom circles.
That helps the Central Bureau of Investigation, Central Economic Intelligence Bureau, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, Enforcement Directorate and other government agencies track potentially ominous electronic communications. And according to a government source, India's Intelligence Bureau has also requested that all faxes be monitored. That request has not yet been met.
"All communication in any form on the telephone should be monitored," said an official at the Ministry of Communications who spoke on condition of anonymity. When mobile multimedia services launch in India, they will also be tracked, he said.
Under the SMS monitoring policy, wireless service providers will be asked to maintain records of all the messages exchanged by subscribers. It is not clear yet how long the data will be archived.
Specialized software would scan a range of variables to profile SMS users. For example, it might pick up on a subscriber who regularly sends text messages to people in countries suspected of abetting terrorists. The software alerts the service provider, which informs the security agencies. The software might also single out someone who sends one message in a week or two to such countries, but the intelligence agencies will be less interested in that person.
Guidelines from India's Supreme Court make it mandatory for security agencies to seek clearance from the Home Ministry before tapping any individual's communication.
"There are instances of violation," said Pavan Duggal, a lawyer who specializes in cyberlaw. "It will require the courts to decide the balance between the security of the state and the privacy of citizens."
