India launches tracking system for all calls, SMS and Internet activity

Over the past month, the Indian authorities have been launching a government system for monitoring all aspects of citizens' telecommunications, including their Internet activity, SMS correspondence and telephone calls.

"The central monitoring system" is designed to ensure security in the country, writes The Verge, referring to The Times of India. Although the government promised not to go beyond the bounds of the law, it has not yet specified what types of conversations it intends to control and under what circumstances it will monitor them.

On a system that has been developed since 2009, India spent a little less than 7.4 million dollars. In the past, the country's government did not hesitate to apply web censorship, demanding the removal and preview of content from companies such as Google.
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Although the “Central Monitoring System” is supposedly designed to combat terrorism, the threat of ongoing monitoring does not bode well for the freedom of the Internet and telecom in the country. According to The Times of India, the system is already working in preliminary mode, and its full launch should take place in August 2014.