NEW DELHI: The government has notified rules to intercept mobile messages, with the Union Home Secretary and chief secretaries of the states being authorised as competent authorities to pass an interception order, officials said on Tuesday.Officials said the competent authorities can issue directions to agencies to intercept any message or class of messages for a specified purpose. This could be done for a specified period of time, which should not be more than six months.The new Telecommunications (Procedures and Safeguards for Lawful Interception of Messages) Rules, 2024, which are similar to call-interception rules, however, are likely to trigger a debate on Right to Privacy as there have been cases of misuse of unauthorised interception by different agencies in the past.According to the officials, the rules stipulate that the competent authority, which is the Union Home Secretary in case of Central government and chief secretaries in case of state governments, can pass an interception order, directing to intercept messages.They said that the government on August 28, 2024 had placed the rules in the public domain for objections and suggestions.In situations arising out of unavoidable circumstances, the rules also authorise a joint secretary or Inspector General (IG)-level or above officer, to issue an order of interception, an official said, adding, “But, this exception is subject to submission of interception order to the competent authority within three working days of the date of issuance and confirmation within seven working days from the date of issue.”If the law enforcing agencies do not get a reply within seven working days, such requests “shall cease and any messages intercepted will not be allowed to be used for any purpose.”
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