New Delhi: As the Centre has made it mandatory to download the contact tracing application ‘Aarogya Setu’ for all those stepping out or going to work, a massive furore has erupted.
The Centre had last week dismissed the charges that the app was being used by the government to gather citizens’ data. However, that has not deterred the opposition leaders from posing questions.
About Aarogya Setu
Aarogya Setu is a government app for tracking coronavirus patients. It is now compulsory for government and private sector employees to download Aarogya Setu mobile application to strengthen the efforts to battle COVID-19 pandemic.
The app helps users identify whether they are at risk of COVID-19 infection. It also furnishes significant information to people, including ways to prevent COVID-19 infection.
The organisational heads have been ordered to ensure its 100 per cent coverage.
“The Aaroygya Setu app has close to 90 million downloads till date and is being regularly updated, with feature like telemedicine being added,” Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant told reporters in a media briefing on Monday.
‘Aarogya Setu a surveillance system’
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had last week alleged that the Aarogya Setu mobile application is a “sophisticated surveillance system outsourced to a private operator, with no institutional oversight”.
“The Aarogya Setu application is a sophisticated surveillance system outsourced to a private operator, with no institutional oversight – raising serious data security and privacy concerns. Technology can help keep us safe; but fear must not be leveraged to track citizens without their consent,” tweeted Gandhi.
Later, another Congress leader, Shashi Tharoor, cautioned that coronavirus must not “become an excuse for the creation of a ‘surveillance state’ in India”.
He asserted that mandatory download of the Aarogya Setu app “raises serious privacy and data protection questions”.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has also expressed his concerns. “The Central govt is fighting COVID-19 with taali, thaali, bijli & a very shady app. Now Delhi’s Sultans have issued a farmaan that people have no choice in the matter. They MUST share their private data with govt (& whoever the govt wants?),” tweeted Owaisi.
Aarogya Setu app: Centre’s reaction
Union Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has rejected the allegations that the Aarogya Setu app is outsourced to the private sector. “Aarogya Setu is now being appreciated globally. The App is NOT outsourced to any private operator. Mr. Gandhi really high time that you stop outsourcing your tweets to your cronies who do not understand India. Daily a new lie,” Prasad tweeted.
“Aarogya Setu is a powerful companion which protects people. It has a robust data security architecture. Those who indulged in surveillance all their lives, won’t know how tech can be leveraged for good!” Prasad added.
Also Read- Windows 10X coming to single-screen devices first
