Empowered to intercept, monitor digital information in public interest: Govt

The government on Tuesday said it’s “empowered” to intercept, monitor and decrypt digital information in the public interest as long as its agencies follow the law.

Laws allowed federal and state governments to intercept “any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource,” G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of State for Home told Parliament in a written reply when asked by an opposition lawmaker whether the government had snooped on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Viber, and Google calls and messages.

Information can only be intercepted by “authorised agencies as per due process of law, and subject to safeguards as provided in the rules,” the statement said.