Chidambaram wants policy to intercept VoIP calls

Making it clear that service providers like Blackberry, Nokia push mail or Skype will have to provide interception facility, Home Minister P Chidambaram has asked the telecom department to frame policies which will allow services to be intercepted when required.

Rejecting the charge that his ministry was rigid with Canadian smart phone manufacturer, BlackBerry, on the issue of interception, he said.

"It is not vendor specific.     

"It is for all service providers, all vendors. Policy would be laid down by the DoT. MHA's role is only to point out that whatever services allowed in India under the policy.

"In the case of security, where security interests are involved, we must be able to intercept. . .MHA's role is to tell the DoT that whatever policy they adopt, please ensure that if security considerations arise, we have the right to intercept and there is a way to intercept. Thats all," Chidambaram told PTI.

Asked how his ministry will ensure that the intercepted material is not misused, he said, "I am not a technical person. That is for the DoT to tell us how to intercept.

"Our demand is, our request is that we must have the right to intercept and access the message or the data that is passed. That is all the MHA's role.

"If I invoke security I must have the right to intercept. How to intercept etc I am not a technical person. That DoT must advice us."

"The role of MHA and DoT must be understood. The policy is theirs but while framing the policy they must provide for right to intercept", Chidambaram said.

The statement of the home minister comes at a time when smart-phone manufacturer Blackberry has been asked to give compliance report by August 15 on how to intercept its Enterprise Mail system.

The Home Ministry had asked the department of telecommunication to ensure access to all encrypted data, including that of international players such as Blackberry, Skype and even Gmail.

India's security agencies have complained that they are unable to decipher encrypted data sent on Blackberry handsets, made by Canadian company Research In Motion, or intercept calls on Skype.

In order to meet these norms, Blackberry and Google might have to place servers in India.