Indian Government Agencies Demand Access To WhatsApp Messaging Groups
from the we-can't-have-people-bad-mouthing-the-government-and-getting-away-with-it dept
Here comes the inevitable government backlash against WhatsApp rolling out end-to-end encryption for one billion users worldwide: if governments can no longer demand access to communications, the next best thing is to demand access to WhatsApp users.
According to India resident Prasanto K. Roy, local governments are demanding that administrators of WhatsApp groups (the latest beneficiaries of the encryption rollout) register with the local magistrate, and will apparently hold them accountable for any "irresponsible remarks" or "untoward actions" by members of the group.
Notice: Running a WhatsApp group in #Kashmir? Get a license. @ShashiTharoor @abdullah_omar HT @fainalysis pic.twitter.com/oV47VfrLHE
— Prasanto K Roy (@prasanto) April 19, 2016
The government's unsubtle man-in-the-middle approach to accessing WhatsApp communications also involves placing a literal government man in the middle, according to the Times of India.
The spokesperson also said that a government representative might also have to be added to the WhatsApp group as an admin. "If any government admin is present in a WhatsApp group, it will immediately prevent any sort of rumour-mongering," he said.Whenever a government agency develops an overweening urge to curb "rumor-mongering," one can be sure that particular government is fucking something up somewhere. And, indeed, that is the case here.
The government had imposed a blackout on mobile internet in the troubled area after clashes between security forces and protestors claimed the lives of five people. The area had seen protests after the alleged molestation of a teenager by security personnel. The mobile internet blackout had been aimed at curbing the spread of potentially inflammatory messages that could spark further tension in the area.It would seem to me the tension was created by the alleged molestation, the government's lack of interest in investigating/punishing the wrongdoer and the killing of five people. The government appears to be more interested in saving itself from its constituency, so the obvious move is to shut down any communication platform that it can't monitor or control. It can't kill WhatsApp, so it's demanding to be inserted into these conversations -- either directly or by lurking just offscreen whispering legal threats.
Not only that, but the quelling of dissent extends to the government itself. The flier also notes punishment awaits government employees who find the registration demand heavy-handed.
Govt. Employees serving in the district are directed to restrain from making any comments/remarks with regard to the policies and decisions of government on these WhatsApp groups running in the district and if anyone found involved in such activities, strict action will be initiated against them as required under rules.Looking beyond this local dispute that has managed to drag in the world's most popular messaging service, one can see why it is essential that citizens have communication platforms that keep the government locked out. Encryption doesn't just "protect" criminals from law enforcement and innocent people from criminals. It also protects the innocent from their governments' self-serving overreach.
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Filed Under: encryption, groups, india, kashmir, messaging, privacy, whatsapp
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Wait for it...
WWIII will be coming, but it looks like it might be everyone's citizens against their own governments.
Or not, I mean look at the history of the world, Humans rather seem to like their dictatorships! America, once free has taken a quick likening to tyranny since 9/11.
The fear is real....
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We will make it much easier to harass you for using this communication we can't tap secretly, so you might as well just do what we want and never say anything bad about those of us in government who are better than the rest of you chattel.
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Re:
If true, it's not a rumor, it's a fact.
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Feature versus bug
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What a sad time we live in
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We're number 1!!! We're number 1!!! We're...wait...won't this lead to massive unemployment among the "jackbooted thug", "enhanced coercive interrogation expert" and "truncheon-wielding pedestrian guide" demographics??
Hmmm...with a minimum of retraining, we can expect to see some strict adherence to mall littering regulations, eh? And a serious upgrade in the enforcement competence of theater ushers. The Invisible Hand resolves such problems, only now it'll grab you by the throat and ask if you've expressed any anti-government sentiments recently.
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In essence they created terrorism solely to create a tyranny.
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Dumb dumd dumb
Dumb approach, they'll just move on. A much more effective method of catching 'bad guys'would be infiltration, but that would be work.
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What the actual f**k?
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Beatings will continue until morale improves
Not surprising I suppose, addressing the underlying problem would impact the government's power and might negatively impact the power of someone important, but there's a quote they might want to remember when it comes to cracking down on a public expressing it's displeasure/anger rather than addressing the reason why they are in that state:
'Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.' -John F. Kennedy
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Postal Service
The government, can look at the outside of the box and see who it's from and where it's going, but that's it.
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Re: Postal Service
you are talking about "only metadata" what is manure, but anyway...
you know .gov KILLS based on metadata?
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Why Is It You Never See Liberal Governments Worry About “Rumour-Mongering”?
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Remember that India built a track for F1 cars and hosted a couple of races. The race disappeared quickly when both the company holding the event and the F1 teams were being subject to insane regulations and very high taxes. At one point, India's customs and excise people where trying to tax the teams on the values of their cars and equipment that they were importing into India in the same manner as any other goods import, with no regard for the idea that they material would be leaves again a few days later.
India's tax and legal systems are obstructionist at best. It's one of the many reasons why India remains one of the most backward places on earth.
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wow, India wants to be like the NSA then?
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TOR+raspberry+crypto chat server+app
and log in from perfectly secure apps to chat?
I thought every indian was sys eng?
if they get your phone? NOTHING (ENCRYPTED/ERASED)
if they spy your internet data? NOTHING (TOR*ENCRYPTED)
if they SWAT your "server" (raspy) NOTHING (no storage/relay only)
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Whatsapp group
When my mother passed away last year at the ripe age of 94 my daughter created a family group that is spread across the world. It is simply to keep everyone in contact and updated with news and events. I don;t care if a government overseer is also a part of the group but not with admin rights who can play spoilsport just for the hack of it. We limit out posts strictly to family matters with explicit restrictions on religious or political comments or any kind of forwards. Believe me, 4 generation of the family have come a whole lot closer and intimate.
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Whatsapp New Features
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