Agencies / New Delhi
Government agencies will now have sweeping powers to intercept and monitor data on computers after a new home ministry order put out on Thursday. Ten central agencies have been equipped with powers of “interception, monitoring and decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer,” in the order signed by Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba.
Earlier, only the home ministry could scan calls and emails of people. The new order gives that power to the Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, CBI, National Investigation Agency, Cabinet Secretariat (Research and Analysis Wing), Directorate of Signal Intelligence (in Jammu and Kashmir, North-East and Assam only) and the Delhi Police Commissioner.
