Concerns Raised Over Private Management of Government E-Mail Services

CPI(M) MP John Brittas has drawn attention to a controversial move by the Centre to hand over the management of its official e-mail services to Zoho Corporation, a private entity. In a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan, Brittas underscored the potential threat to the independence, confidentiality, and impartiality of parliamentary communications.

Brittas noted that the move includes transferring control of about 50 lakh government e-mail accounts, including those of the Executive branch and Members of Parliament, to Zoho. He expressed concern that this transition, which replaces the National Informatics Centre's (NIC) oversight with Zoho's management, compromises cybersecurity and data theft prevention efforts.

The MP emphasized the potential risks of entrusting core operational infrastructure to a private corporation, which he claims shares ideological proximity with the ruling party. Brittas has called for urgent reconsideration of the decision to preserve parliamentary independence and maintain public trust.

(With inputs from agencies.)