National Security vs. Open Government

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National Security vs. Open Government

By Dr Arvind Kumar

The recent revelations from the classified cables released by the Wikileaks have raised questions about safeguarding national security while maintaining opneness in the government. Technology has changed the ways that citizens around the world can share information about government performance, access economic information, or share key development indicators, including several of the initiatives. Given the unrelenting media spotlight that the 21st century media ecosystem puts upon on every move of the government, it is cumbersome for officials to hide information from the public. However, the presumption of openness precludes the legitimate protection of information whose release would threaten national security, invade personal privacy, breach confidentiality, or damage other genuinely compelling interests.

Legitimate concerns about national security must be balanced with the spirit of open government. The transparency facet in the ‘open government’ initiative entails multiple layers of complexity. There are two factors that are always brought to bear in discussions in open government, one is privacy and other is security. Government is an incredible information collecting machine. Data, transparency, and access to information should be used in ways that enhance citizen welfare. The government and civil society should come together in maintaining openness and transparency in the administration while safeguarding national interest. Brazil has emerged a real leader in participatory budget processes. Indonesia has done a lot to root out police corruption. Citizens can file -- and governments can respond -- to complaints lodged online. India has a strong right to information law and e-panchayat mechanism. The latest corruption scandals in India call for more openness and transparency in the government.

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