Indian Telecommunication Bill 2023

We rolled out IPv6, which also encouraged more privacy

But now the draft telecom bill seems a step in other direction

Some points from the draft telecom bill

1. Govt wants to license apps like Whatsapp, Twitter, Google Meet, Teams, like how telecom companies like Airtel, Jio, Vi are licensed and wants to term these as telecom services .
2. Only Licensed apps will be allowed, else there's fine if someone uses unlicensed apps, and maybe the person will also be prosecuted.
3. Govt wants these companies to verify person's identity, not mostly by OTP, while this is not clearly mentioned, but mostly by Aadhar, PAN , etc for a person to use Telecom services. Also Govt wants to include EMAILS, ott apps, etc in telecom services.
4. Govt will not allow a person to use telecom services for a particular amount of time if he/she uses false identity, subsequent convictions may permanently ban him/her from using telecom services.
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So govt says, it wants to make sure that the person on other side knows the identity of person making a call or messaging or using any communication app.
For an example, if you receive a message from Whatsapp from an unknown number, you should be able to know the full name of the person, and so with any other apps.

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My Views.
1. For security gov can already track transactions, ban crypto, that's all good and sufficient, but this is totally unnecessary. Even emails aren't spared from doing verification. Anonymous mail will be thing of past. Forget using any services like Omegle, if any one is using . Besides this is practically not enforceable
2. Example 2 - if we are playing a game on steam, or using discord, and because it is a communication app, are we supposed to use real name there too ? And in every new game that has in game chat and communication will need a govt approval ?
3. If so much data is tagged, and every company knows that every user in India is verified user, they will tag along all the data, views, opinions, and use it very precisely to advertise, sell, to keep us half informed about news and what not .
4. Having social media apps have licenses, means this will increase bureaucracy, which will slow things down, and stop innovation in social media.
5. Many social media apps might discontinue over these terms, and this might make us all use any new, non end-to-end encrypted - upcoming messaging apps like Jio Chat . I am fine with non end to end encrypted, but still won't want to imagine of a monopoly of say Jio chat.

Also I am happy for gov introducing something that will make person on other side know who's exactly we are talking to, but I really wouldn't want to give private companies by ID card for that purpose.
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Now all this is a draft, but still most of the amendments might not be dropped.
Making people aware about it is necessary.
 


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