Intelligence agencies have asked the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to issue new rules making it mandatory for all operators and internet service providers (ISP) to retain their customers? online data for a minimum period of 12 months, according to news reports. Currently, all telephone records including call and text message details are stored by mobile phone companies for six months.
Regarding the internet, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) has asked DoT to ensure that both operators and ISPs istore all details of email communications. These include the email addresses from where the online communication is sent, the receiving ID, the subject of the mail, attachment name and type, the other recipients who are marked on the same mail and similar details of the replies to the online communication.
It has also requested that login and logout details, including the amount of time spent online be recorded under the new guidelines.
Intelligence agencies have specified similar norms for all other forms of online communications including searches, chats, social networking, file sharing, peer-to-peer amongst others.
Justifying the move, the intelligence bureau?s communication to the DoT states that such steps are required to address security challenges and to keep pace with the rapidly changing internet technologies, protocols and different types of services being used by adversaries.
The communication further adds that new rules should also be applicable to 3G services provided by operators, as the usage of internet was increasingly moving to smartphones and other cellular handsets.
Regarding social networking, the MoHA wants operators and ISPs to retain the user ID, followers and contacts, chat IDs and group community name. Similarly in the case of video services, operators must store the user ID, name of video posted along with the file type and file size. Even the queries sent to the search engines must be recorded, the communication adds.
The customer retention rules also cover all forms of online communication. In the case of internet telephony, operators and ISPs must store the caller and called ID, the duration of the call, start and end time and date and also the end device used. The home ministry has also specified similar details for online facilities such as chat, web services, internet telephony and Skype.
