NEW DELHI: A tender issued by the government-run National Informatics Centre Services Inc. (NICSI) for the procurement and deployment of surveillance equipment including drones and facial recognition technologies to monitor the election processes was cancelled after the Election Commission objected to it, saying that the tender was issued without its approval and that such surveillance amounted to “invasion of citizens’ privacy”.
NIC Services Inc — established under NIC as a procurement agency for information and communication technology, goods and services for the government — had released the tender in December last year, calling upon technology providers for supply of the aforesaid surveillance tools. This had prompted the Internet Freedom Foundation to approach NIC and EC outlining the “various harms of election surveillance, including voter intimidation, overbroad surveillance and profiling, exclusion errors with facial recognition and privacy concerns”.
“When NICSI tender came to notice, the Commission directed NICSI to immediately cancel it. The said tender was not floated with ECI approval. The Commission shall not allow invasion of citizens’ privacy in any manner during elections,” the poll panel said on X on Friday.
The poll panel was responding to a post by Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) stating that “@NICMeity has released a tender for the deployment of surveillance tools like drones and facial recognition technology to maintain law and order during the 2024 general elections”.
In a post later, NICSI said its “tender for request for proposal for empanelment of agencies to provide surveillance & monitoring services, Like for Elections, Examination etc. has been cancelled”.
The NICSI tagged the poll panel and IFF in its post announcing the cancellation of the tender.
NIC Services Inc — established under NIC as a procurement agency for information and communication technology, goods and services for the government — had released the tender in December last year, calling upon technology providers for supply of the aforesaid surveillance tools. This had prompted the Internet Freedom Foundation to approach NIC and EC outlining the “various harms of election surveillance, including voter intimidation, overbroad surveillance and profiling, exclusion errors with facial recognition and privacy concerns”.
“When NICSI tender came to notice, the Commission directed NICSI to immediately cancel it. The said tender was not floated with ECI approval. The Commission shall not allow invasion of citizens’ privacy in any manner during elections,” the poll panel said on X on Friday.
The poll panel was responding to a post by Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) stating that “@NICMeity has released a tender for the deployment of surveillance tools like drones and facial recognition technology to maintain law and order during the 2024 general elections”.
In a post later, NICSI said its “tender for request for proposal for empanelment of agencies to provide surveillance & monitoring services, Like for Elections, Examination etc. has been cancelled”.
The NICSI tagged the poll panel and IFF in its post announcing the cancellation of the tender.
