PRISM: Difference between revisions

[[Minister of External Affairs (India)|Minister of External Affairs]] [[Salman Khurshid]] defended the PRISM program saying, "This is not scrutiny and access to actual messages. It is only computer analysis of patterns of calls and emails that are being sent. It is not actually snooping specifically on content of anybody's message or conversation. Some of the information they got out of their scrutiny, they were able to use it to prevent serious terrorist attacks in several countries."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/salman-khurshid-defends-us-surveillance-programme-says-it-is-not-snooping/403544-37-64.html |title=Salman Khurshid defends US surveillance programme, says 'it is not snooping' |publisher=Ibnlive.in.com |date=2013-07-02 |access-date=July 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131027092115/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/salman-khurshid-defends-us-surveillance-programme-says-it-is-not-snooping/403544-37-64.html |archive-date=October 27, 2013 }}</ref> His comments contradicted his [[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|Foreign Ministry's]] characterization of violations of privacy as "unacceptable."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/India-sees-no-reason-to-say-yes-to-asylum-for-Snowden/Article1-1085761.aspx |title=India sees 'no reason to say yes' to asylum for Snowden |newspaper=Hindustan Times |date=2013-07-02 |access-date=July 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723215337/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/India-sees-no-reason-to-say-yes-to-asylum-for-Snowden/Article1-1085761.aspx |archive-date=July 23, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |agency=PTI |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/it-is-not-actually-snooping-khurshid-on-us-surveillance/article4873351.ece |title=It is not actually snooping: Khurshid on US surveillance |newspaper=The Hindu |date=2013-07-02 |access-date=July 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130706001702/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/it-is-not-actually-snooping-khurshid-on-us-surveillance/article4873351.ece |archive-date=July 6, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> When the then [[Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (India)|Minister of Communications and Information Technology]] [[Kapil Sibal]] was asked about Khurshid's comments, he refused to comment on them directly, but said, "We do not know the nature of data or information sought [as part of PRISM]. Even the [[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|external ministry]] does not have any idea."<ref>{{cite news|url=httphttps://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-07-03/india/40329684_1_salmanKhurshid-khurshidSibal-kapilat-sibalodds-computerover-US-snooping/articleshow/20879396.cms |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130711132724/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-07-03/india/40329684_1_salman-khurshid-kapil-sibal-computer |archive-date=2013-07-11 |title=Khurshid, Sibal at odds over US snooping |date=2013-07-03 |work=[[The Times of India]] |url-status=live |access-date=July 14, 2013}}</ref> The media felt that Khurshid's defence of PRISM was because the India government was rolling out the [[Central Monitoring System]] (CMS), which is similar to the PRISM program.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Muzaffar |first=Maroosha |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/113764/why-india-taking-uss-side-snowden-scandal# |title=Why India is taking the U.S.'s Side in the Snowden Scandal |magazine=New Republic |date=2013-07-04 |access-date=July 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029195846/http://www.newrepublic.com/article/113764/why-india-taking-uss-side-snowden-scandal |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="medianama1">{{cite web |author=Brindaalakshmi K |url=http://www.medianama.com/2013/07/223-mp-starts-public-petition-for-disclosure-of-indian-data-accessed-by-prism/ |title=MP Starts Public Petition For Disclosure Of Indian Data Accessed By PRISM |publisher=MediaNama |date=2013-07-08 |access-date=July 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130709171257/http://www.medianama.com/2013/07/223-mp-starts-public-petition-for-disclosure-of-indian-data-accessed-by-prism/ |archive-date=July 9, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Champion |first=Marc |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-08/indians-see-a-gift-in-nsa-leaks.html |title=Indians See a Gift in NSA Leaks |publisher=Bloomberg |date=2013-07-08 |access-date=July 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130713124919/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-08/indians-see-a-gift-in-nsa-leaks.html |archive-date=July 13, 2013 }}</ref>