[Reader-list] More 30c3: Maria Xynou (CIS-India) on India's Surveillance State

[Patrice Riemens]

https://events.ccc.de/congress/2013/Fahrplan/events/5552.html

(no video yet)

outline (before actual lecture):

India is currently implementing some of the scariest surveillance schemes
in the world. This lecture will shed light on India's surveillance
industry, its UID scheme which aims at the collection of all biometric
data and on various controversial surveillance schemes, such as the
Central Monitoring System (CMS).

When it comes to surveillance, the most mainstream argument is that the
majority of India's population lives below the poverty line and that
surveillance is an elitist issue - and not a "real" issue which affects
the masses.

Given that the majority of India's population has mobile phones and that
the Indian government is currently implementing the Central Monitoring
System (CMS) which aims at intercepting all telecommunications (and
Internet communications), surveillance does not appear to be an elitist
issue. Given that the UID scheme aims at collecting the biometric data of
all citizens residing in India and that most BPL cash programmes require
UID registration, surveillance appears to be an issue which
(unfortunately) affects the 1.2 billion people currently living in India.
And this is to say the least.

As part of the Privacy Project, the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS)
in Bangalore, India, is investigating surveillance within the country. The
project is funded by Privacy International and aims to map out various
forms of surveillance in India, ranging from drones, CCTV cameras and GPS
tracking equipment to phone and Internet monitoring gear.

This lecture aims to present the research that Maria Xynou has undertaken
at the CIS so far, which includes data on the various surveillance
technology companies operating in India and the type of spy gear they sell
to Indian law enforcement agencies. This research also includes the
presentation of India's various controversial surveillance schemes, with
an emphasis on the Central Monitoring System (CMS) which unlawfully
enables the interception of all telecommunications and Internet
communications.

India is currently implementing the world's largest biometric data
collection and interception of communications schemes. The aim of this
lecture is to present India's scary mass surveillance and to discuss its
implications on the right to privacy and other human rights.