Thread by @internetfreedom

In 2018, we asked the Government of India about the number of electronic surveillance orders passed by it.

Two years later, @PIBHomeAffairs claims to have *destroyed* all records relating to the total number of surveillance orders passed. 🧵 1/n

internetfreedom.in/information-so…

IFF had filed six RTI applications in December '18 with the @PIBHomeAffairs to gauge the extent of surveillance conducted by the government. But MHA refused to grant the sought information then, relying on unrelated exemptions under the RTI Act, 2005. 2/n
internetfreedom.in/iff-keeps-push…

The questions asked were merely, “How many people were surveilled” and sought no information that threatened national security or interfered with any ongoing investigations.

Yet, @PIBHomeAffairs refused to divulge the crucial data necessary for an informed public debate. 3/n

We persisted against this order. On May 17 2021, the Central Information Commission rejected MHA’s excuses and ordered @PIBHomeAffairs to provide a revised order. MHA conducted another hearing but effectively came up with new excuses to justify the same response. 4/n

MHA's response goes against transparency & enables the govt to evade all questions around surveillance.

Recently, the Minister of State for Communications @devusinh tendered a reply identical to MP @JohnBrittas' question on phone interception orders authorised by the govt. 5/n

Further, the unnecessary delay caused by the MHA in its earlier replies by relying on unrelated provisions of the RTI Act appears to be a dilatory tactic — in a matter where the MHA has caused significant delays, its reliance on such provisions is particularly self-serving. 6/n

We will continue in our quest for seeking transparency and accountability from the government.

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