Looking into the National Security Apparatus of India through the Lens of Data Privacy – A Security-Liberty Trade off

Abstract

Technology had seeped so deep into urban lives, that our devices have become a repository of your most intimate thoughts and most personal information. For this information to be put bare in front of a stranger without one’s knowledge is a grave invasion of privacy and liberty; both of which are rights fundamentally guaranteed to every Indian citizen. Today, with sophisticated data and data intelligence systems, building a person’s profile, figuring out their likes, dislikes, political inclination, religious view, sexual orientation and other deeply private aspects of their lives takes can be done within minutes, if not seconds. This ability to invade people’s lives has opened backdoor to all kinds of crimes, from blackmail to child pornography to financial fraud. Terrorist organisations too make use of these sophisticated intelligence system to plan attacks and dodge the system. This study tries to explore how the Indian privacy picture has evolved over the decades and if the governments and legislations have been able to tackle increasing crimes amid rising threat perception without trampling the privacy and freedom of its citizenry.