The Indian Government plans to release the new National Encryption Policy, a law that seems to be one of the big threat to the Internet freedom.

A new problem is worrying the Indian friends, the Government plans to release a new policy, National Encryption Policy’ that seems to presage disappointments for users.

Among ugly and questionable issues of the policy,  there is the will to criminalize cancellation of WhatsApp Messages or Emails received or sent before 90 days, and the punishment might be the imprisonment

• Access to your Private Data – The government need to have access to all user’s encrypted information including personal emails, text and voice messages, and data stored in a private business server.
• Not to Delete any WhatsApp Messages or Emails for 90 Days – The Policy will force Internet users to save all encrypted communication data in plaintext for at least 90 days. WhatsApp conversation and emails are in the target of the Government.
• Share your Encryption Keys with Government – the National Encryption Policy force Indian Internet Users to share their encryption keys with the Government and Security Agencies.
• Foreign Services Providers need to Comply with Indian Government – Foreign companies need to provide access to data belonging to Indian users.

“Encryption algorithms and key sizes will be prescribed by the Government,” states the Policy.

Everyone can express its opinion about the National Encryption Policy by sending comments to akrishnan@deity.gov.in by October 16, 2015.

Pierluigi Paganini

(Security Affairs – National Encryption Policy, India)