Anatomy of a wiretap

The real story behind the Radia tapes that personally affects you is not the one on corruption or media ethics, but the larger debate between privacy rights and national security. Ajai Sreevatsan explains the various means that are usually deployed by the State to spy on its citizens.

December 07, 2010 01:11 pm | Updated 01:34 pm IST

Compiled by Ajai Sreevatsan. Graphics by R. Prathap.

Compiled by Ajai Sreevatsan. Graphics by R. Prathap.

It is a story of how many countries are introducing laws that aid communication surveillance ( >Blackberry RIM controversy ).

Communications systems that have no inbuilt eavesdropping capabilities are more secure than systems with such capabilities built in. The accidental intrusion of individual privacy while using advanced surveillance systems is a privilege the citizenry grants its government in times of crisis. It should not be used as a right.

>Click here to view a PDF version of the graphic.

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