Encryption policy: Govt may want you to keep video record of your bedroom activities, says Manish Tewari

New Delhi: Former information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari on Tuesday slammed a draft National Encryption Policy which makes it compulsory to store in plain text every message for 90 days from the date of transaction.

Notably, the Department of Electronics and Information Technology has clarified that social media websites and applications will be exempted from the purview of the draft National Encryption Policy.

Albeit the government says the mission of the policy is to provide confidentiality of information in cyber space for individuals and protection of sensitive or proprietary information for individuals and businesses, the Congress leader thinks otherwise.

Later, while talking to news agency ANI, Tewari described the Modi government as the fascist one. "Only a fascist government can bring such policy," said Tewari.

The draft new encryption policy had originally envisaged that every message sent through WhatsApp, SMS, e-mail or any such service must be mandatorily stored in plain text format for 90 days and made available on demand to security agencies.

The move had triggered widespread privacy concerns and generated heated debate.

The objectives of the draft policy are to synchronise with the emerging global digital economy, network society and use of encryption for ensuring the security, confidentiality of data and to protect privacy in information and communication infrastructure without unduly affecting public safety and national security.

The draft proposes to introduce the New Encryption Policy under Section 84A of Information Technology Act 2000.

The last date for public to comment on the draft is October 16.