Kejriwal Government Gets Legal Notice For Mega CCTV Project Over Fears Of Delhi Turning Into ‘Surveillance State’

Privacy advocacy group Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) has sent a legal notice to the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, raising concerns over the possibilities of his government creating a ‘surveillance state’ with the planned installation of up to 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras in the National Capital, The Hindu reports.

The notice alleges that the project was pushed through without the mandatory public consultation or feasibility studies. The letter further highlighted the lack of legal standing for a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and the governing framework for the policy.

The group also is raising concerns over whom the footage may be shared with, the duration of which the footage will be stored, and the rights of residents to access or seek deletion of the footage.

The group also warns legal action if the project is not halted. “The absence of these safeguards will lead to the creation of a powerful surveillance architecture that will inevitably be prone to misuse,” the group said adding that there is an emerging global acceptance that CCTV’s have less impact as a deterrent or reducing the crime rate.