Manoj Kewalramani quoted in Medianama on Facial Recognition Technologies

Manoj Kewalramani, chair of Indo-Pacific Studies and a fellow at Takshashila Institution, was quoted in Medianama. He was quoted as saying,

“China’s National Intelligence Law, passed in 2017, essentially authorises the government to demand information from private security on national security grounds,” explains Manoj Kewalramani, Fellow-China Studies and the Chairperson of the Indo-Pacific Studies Programme at the Takshashila Institution. “Countries [buying Chinese surveillance equipment] end up deciding to keep it out of their sensitive domains as a result of this.” 

Banning Chinese surveillance gear is “meaningless” though as India has financial limitations too, argues Kewalramani. Security risks also depend on where and how the data is stored. “I think these systems could be kept out of sensitive [Central government] areas. But for that, you first have to define parameters for critical or sensitive areas,” he says. “We also need a law that provides clarity on data storage, access, and security, so the company can actually implement these practices. That can actually place a responsibility on companies [to use these systems carefully]. It may also open the doors for a new data audit industry.”

Read the full report here.