Smriti Irani wants to know what you watch on TV: Congress accuses BJP of breaching privacy

File photo

NEW DELHI: A day after reports of Centre's proposal to install chips in set-top boxes emerged, the Congress accused Bharatiya Janata Party of citizen's breaching privacy. Party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, in a Twitter post, accused the government of intruding into people's “bedroom”.

“BREAKING! The Next Stage of Surveillance by BJP Revealed! In a serious breach of privacy, Smriti Iraniji wants to know what show you watch on your TV, within the four walls of your bedroom, without your permission! Why?” wrote  Surjewala on the micro-blogging platform.

BREAKING! The Next Stage of Surveillance by BJP Revealed!

In a serious breach of privacy, Smriti Iraniji wants to know what show you watch on your TV, within the four walls of your bedroom, without your permission! Why?

अबकी बार Surveillance सरकार,
निजता का हक़ कर तार-तार! pic.twitter.com/2RqHNekaaE

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 16, 2018

Earlier, reports of Information and Broadcasting Ministry proposing installation of a chip in new television set-top boxes emerged. The chips will provide data about channels watched and their duration. 

"This would help advertisers and the DAVP to spend their advertising expenditure wisely. Only those channels which are widely watched will get promoted," a senior official said.

In the proposal, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has told the TRAI, "It is also proposed to ask DTH operators to install a chip in the new set-top boxes which can give data about channels watched and their duration."