Early Times Report
Srinagar, Apr 17: Reacting to reports that the government has asserted that the proposed electronic chip in set-top boxes don't tantamount to surveillance, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said that 'any information the government collects about me, my habits, my choices, my conversations without my express consent is tantamount to surveillance'.
The denial from the government comes in the backdrop of a letter reportedly written by Information and Broadcasting Ministry to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in March, proposing electronic chips to be fitted in set-top boxes that can accurately monitor viewership data, which can then give the ministry a realistic picture of the viewership data and popularity of each channel.
However, taking to micro-blogging site twitter Mr Abdullah said, "The only way this is not surveillance is if I have the option to buy a set top box without the chip that monitors my viewing preferences. Then I get to choose to share/not share data." "How does one explain to them that any information the Govt collects about me, my habits, my choices, my conversations without my express consent IS tantamount to surveillance?" he added. |
