Sensitive nature of data validates privacy concerns over Centre's Aarogya Setu app; legislation with 'sunset clause' can curb potential misuse
4 years, 8 months ago

Sensitive nature of data validates privacy concerns over Centre's Aarogya Setu app; legislation with 'sunset clause' can curb potential misuse

Firstpost  

The Aarogya Setu app generates a unique ID for each user and it keeps a track of all other IDs coming in contact with it and the GPS location and time of said contact. The app generates a unique ID for each user and it keeps track of all other IDs coming in contact with it and the GPS location and time of said contact. Given the sensitive nature of data involved and the mandatory prescription for using the app, concerns about privacy violations have been raised. With respect to the Bluetooth technology, app developers could incorporate a user interface which would state that one is within a range of device XYZ, whether this is an infection range.

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History of this topic

Android voice chat app leaves database unprotected, leaks private user data: Report
1 year, 10 months ago

Android voice chat app leaves database unprotected, leaks private user data: Report

The Hindu  

OyeTalk, which describes itself as a social audio platform with over 5 million downloads on Google Play Store, left its database open to the public exposing users’ private data and conversations, a report from cybernews shared. Additionally, sensitive hardcoded data on the client side of the app including Google API, which is unsafe as it can be easily accessed through …

Popular Android game app leaked sensitive user information, private conversations: Report
1 year, 10 months ago

Popular Android game app leaked sensitive user information, private conversations: Report

The Hindu  

A popular Android role-playing game, Tap Busters: Bounty Hunter, leaked sensitive user data including users’ private conversations, a report from Cybernews shared. The app which has over a million downloads on Google Play Store with a 4.5-star rating left its database open to the public, allegedly leaking users’ private conversations for over five months, the report shared. Developers also left …

Aarogya Setu contact tracing data deleted: Centre
1 year, 11 months ago

Aarogya Setu contact tracing data deleted: Centre

Hindustan Times  

All contact tracing data collected through the Aarogya Setu mobile application to locate potential cases of Covid-19 during the fight against the pandemic has been deleted, the Union government informed Parliament on Wednesday. Singh sought details of the current legislation governing the data collected via the application and whether the data collected by it till May 10, 2022, was deleted …

Aarogya Setu app contact-tracing data deleted: IT Ministry
1 year, 11 months ago

Aarogya Setu app contact-tracing data deleted: IT Ministry

The Hindu  

Contact-tracing data from the COVID-19 pandemic collected by the Aarogya Setu app has been deleted from government databases, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said in a written response in Parliament. “In accordance with the provisions of the, the contact-tracing feature of the Aarogya Setu mobile application has been discontinued and contact-tracing data collected through it has been deleted,” …

Covid-19 related data of thousands of Indians leaked online: Report
2 years, 11 months ago

Covid-19 related data of thousands of Indians leaked online: Report

Live Mint  

Personal data of thousands of people in India has been leaked from a government server which includes their name, mobile number, address and Covid test result, and these information can be accessed through online search. The leaked data has been put on sale on Raid Forums website where a cyber criminal claims to have personal data of over 20,000 people. …

Fine-tuning the State-of-the-app technology
3 years, 11 months ago

Fine-tuning the State-of-the-app technology

The Hindu  

On January 13 this year, subscribers of English newspapers in India woke up to full-page Platforms and COVID-19 The issue of privacy is crucial for government technology platforms and services as governments typically have a monopoly in providing public services, unlike the private sector. An assessment of the 35 mobile applications revealed that 17 mobile apps provide information on COVID-19 …

'No Informed Consent' : Karnataka High Court Restrains Centre & NIC From Sharing Response Data Of Persons Collected Through 'Aarogya Setu'
3 years, 11 months ago

'No Informed Consent' : Karnataka High Court Restrains Centre & NIC From Sharing Response Data Of Persons Collected Through 'Aarogya Setu'

Live Law  

The Karnataka High Court on Monday passed an interim order to restrain the Central Government and the National Informatics Centre from sharing the response data given by an individual in the 'Aarogya Setu' app with other government departments and agencies, without obtaining informed consent of the users.A division. The Karnataka High Court on Monday passed an interim order to restrain …

MEITY Extends The Validity Of 'Aarogya Setu Data Access & Knowledge Sharing Protocol' Upto May 10, 2021
4 years, 1 month ago

MEITY Extends The Validity Of 'Aarogya Setu Data Access & Knowledge Sharing Protocol' Upto May 10, 2021

Live Law  

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has extended the validity of the 'Aarogya Setu Data Access and Knowledge Sharing Protocol 2020' by six months i.e., up to 10th May, 2021. The Protocol specifically states that such Ministry, Department of the Government, NDMA, SDMAs or public health institution shall process response data in a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory manner. However, …

Government Says No Clue on Who Made Aarogya Setu App, Twitter Responds with Memes
4 years, 2 months ago

Government Says No Clue on Who Made Aarogya Setu App, Twitter Responds with Memes

News 18  

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the National Informatics Centre on Wednesday said they do not have any information about the “creation” of the Aarogya Setu application. The centre has come under attack over the lack of information about the developers of the Aarogya Setu app which used crucial data of users like location, etc. pic.twitter.com/MD4QtXXrvC— Rofl Gandhi …

Aarogya Setu app | IT Ministry says taking steps to comply with CIC orders
4 years, 2 months ago

Aarogya Setu app | IT Ministry says taking steps to comply with CIC orders

The Hindu  

Following a show cause notice issued over the government’s “preposterous” response to an RTI query related to the Aarogya Setu application, the IT Ministry said it was taking steps to comply with the CIC’s orders, while adding that the app had been developed by the National Informatics Centre in collaboration with volunteers from industry and academia. The statement comes after …

Aarogya Setu app developed in govt and private collaboration, clarifies Centre
4 years, 2 months ago

Aarogya Setu app developed in govt and private collaboration, clarifies Centre

Live Mint  

The Aarogya Setu contract tracing app has been developed in a collaborative effort of government and private sector, clarified the Central government on Wednesday. The CIC came into action after the NIC, NeGD and MeitY failed to furnish information regarding the creation and development of the Aarogya Setu app through an RTI. The Centre in its clarification said that there …

Govt gets notice after saying it has no information on Aarogya Setu creator
4 years, 2 months ago

Govt gets notice after saying it has no information on Aarogya Setu creator

The Hindu  

The Central Information Commission on Wednesday issued a notice to the government for providing an evasive response to an RTI application related to Aarogya Setu, the contact tracing app that has crores of users' data. The show-cause notices were issued to Central Public Information Officers of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, National Informatics Centre and National E-Governance Division after …

Ministry has no information on who created Aarogya Setu, RTI body issues showcause notice
4 years, 2 months ago

Ministry has no information on who created Aarogya Setu, RTI body issues showcause notice

Hindustan Times  

The National Informatics Centre, which designs government websites, has said that it has no information about who has created the Aarogya Setu app and how it has been created. The Chief Information Commission has pulled up the NIC, which comes under the ministry of electronics, and issued a showcause notice to various chief public information officers asking them to provide …

Citizens Without Aarogya Setu App Cannot Be Denied Public Services, Observes Karnataka HC
4 years, 2 months ago

Citizens Without Aarogya Setu App Cannot Be Denied Public Services, Observes Karnataka HC

News 18  

The Karnataka High Court on Monday observed that neither governments nor private entities could deny citizens any services if they are unable to produce the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile devices. A bench of Chief Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Ashok S Kinagi was hearing a petition filed by Anivar A Aravind challenging the mandatory use of Aarogya Setu …

'Aarogya Setu App Does Not Detect COVID-19 & Is Meant For Intensive Surveillance', Says Plea In Bombay HC [Read Petition]
4 years, 5 months ago

'Aarogya Setu App Does Not Detect COVID-19 & Is Meant For Intensive Surveillance', Says Plea In Bombay HC [Read Petition]

Live Law  

Activist Sudeep Dalvi has moved the Bombay High Court against an order of the Deputy Collector, Margao-Goa, mandating the usage of Aarogya Setu App for entering the premises of the Collectorate building. The Petitioner, through Advocates Shashwat Anand, Shrinivas R. Khalap and Chintan Nirala, has contended that usage of the Aarogya Setu App is not backed or mandated by any …

Government climbs down on Aarogya Setu by removing mandatory provision
4 years, 7 months ago

Government climbs down on Aarogya Setu by removing mandatory provision

Live Mint  

As the government plans to ease out lockdown restrictions from Monday, it climbed down on Aarogya Setu mobile application by removing the mandatory provision for the app’s download as earlier. Ministry of Home Affairs in its guidelines issued on Saturday about phase wise opening of lockdown said that the Aarogya Setu mobile application enables early identification of risk of infection, …

Aarogya Setu app is now open source: what does it mean?
4 years, 7 months ago

Aarogya Setu app is now open source: what does it mean?

The Hindu  

Aarogya Setu, India’s coronavirus contact-tracing and self-assessment app is now open source. Health Ministry launches Aarogya Setu IVRS facility for those without smartphones The Aarogya Setu app is used on Android phones by 98% of the registered users, and the source code for the Android app is currently available on GitHub, a collaboration platform for software developers, where code can …

Aarogya Setu, India’s contact-tracing app, goes open-source
4 years, 7 months ago

Aarogya Setu, India’s contact-tracing app, goes open-source

Firstpost  

At 12 am midnight on the 27th of May 2020, Aarogya Setu — India’s digital contact tracing app — will go open-source and be uploaded to a public GitHub repository. CEO of NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant announced at a press conference that Aarogya Setu has been installed 114mn times, reached out to 9 lac contacts and represents a contact tracing …

Is transparency too much to ask for?
4 years, 7 months ago

Is transparency too much to ask for?

Live Mint  

While sheltering at home to keep herself safe from the novel coronavirus, Neela Chandra was overwhelmed with updates on TV and social media but wasn’t certain how to sift through the clutter. Based on Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s covid tracing tracker, over 25 countries have some form of contact-tracing mobile application, with a combination of Bluetooth and GPS-based proximity and …

Protection or threat? Experts say Aarogya Setu poses national security risk
4 years, 7 months ago

Protection or threat? Experts say Aarogya Setu poses national security risk

Hindustan Times  

Data of millions of Indians, collected through the Aarogya Setu app, could be vulnerable to threats from adversarial state and non-state actors and pose a national security challenge, according to cybersecurity experts and former intelligence officials. Sensitive data of our citizens is kept in a manner where there is no unauthorised access to the data,” said Abhishek Singh, CEO of …

Covid-19: Aarogya Setu needs legislative backing
4 years, 7 months ago

Covid-19: Aarogya Setu needs legislative backing

Hindustan Times  

The government’s decision to make the coronavirus tracking application, Aarogya Setu, mandatory in many spheres of life brings constitutional challenges such as the right to privacy of citizens. In 1996, in PUCL Vs Union of India, the Court formulated guidelines imposing substantive and procedural restraints, while holding that the right to privacy includes informational privacy and confidentiality. In the absence …

Aarogya Setu key to making transition into post-lockdown period smooth, prevent loss of lives; doubts about privacy, security unnecessary
4 years, 7 months ago

Aarogya Setu key to making transition into post-lockdown period smooth, prevent loss of lives; doubts about privacy, security unnecessary

Firstpost  

Aarogya Setu is also reviewed by other foreign firms who often tend to be critical about indigenous technological efforts of India. Like many other countries, the Government of India has launched its own Aarogya Setu app for contact tracing and alert users if they come in proximity with a COVID-19 infected person. Thus, it is clear that the Aarogya Setu …

A quick look at the Aarogya Setu App and how it works
4 years, 7 months ago

A quick look at the Aarogya Setu App and how it works

Op India  

The Government of India has launched the Aarogya Setu App to assist the fight against the Wuhan Coronavirus. The user can set the radius at 500 m, 1 km, 2 km, 5 km and 10 km and based on the radius set by the user, the app will show the number of individuals who have installed the app within the …

"It Causes More Concern To Citizens Than Benefit': Justice BN Srikrishna Says 'Mandating The Use Of Arogya Setu App Is "Utterly Illegal"[Watch Video]
4 years, 7 months ago

"It Causes More Concern To Citizens Than Benefit': Justice BN Srikrishna Says 'Mandating The Use Of Arogya Setu App Is "Utterly Illegal"[Watch Video]

Live Law  

Speaking at a webinar organized by Daksh, an advocacy group, on Monday, Former Supreme Court Judge, Justice BN Srikrishna said that mandating the use of Aarogya Setu app "causes more concern to citizens than benefit." Highlighting the three-fold test evolved by the Supreme Court in the Puttaswamy judgment, Justice Srikrishna said, "It is highly objectionable that such an order is …

Kerala HC Seeks Statement From Centre On Data Privacy Safeguards Of 'Aarogya Setu' App
4 years, 7 months ago

Kerala HC Seeks Statement From Centre On Data Privacy Safeguards Of 'Aarogya Setu' App

Live Law  

The High Court of Kerala on Tuesday sought a statement from the Central Government on the data privacy safeguards of the 'Aarogya Setu', the contact tracing app developed by the National Informatics Centre amid the COVID-19 pandemic.The Court asked whether the Central Government can guarantee that the information collected by the Aarogya Setu app would not be misused.A bench comprising. …

Aarogya Setu: Lack of data privacy laws, transparent policies make app worrisome, say MIT researchers
4 years, 7 months ago

Aarogya Setu: Lack of data privacy laws, transparent policies make app worrisome, say MIT researchers

Firstpost  

The most worrisome part about Aarogya Setu is that we don’t know who has access to the database and it is not an open-source app. Now, MIT University has reviewed the Aarogya Setu app to understand how effective is the app, is it safe to use, and how it compares to other contact tracing apps that are being used in …

Corona apps well-intentioned but privacy concerns must be addressed
4 years, 7 months ago

Corona apps well-intentioned but privacy concerns must be addressed

India Today  

A massive data leak from the mobile phone-based Quarantine Monitoring System of the Madhya Pradesh government has sharpened the debate on privacy around the central government’s similar Aarogya Setu app. While the idea of such data platforms and mobile applications world-over is to disseminate useful information regarding the spread of cases in the neighbourhood to people and assist government agencies …

Aarogya Setu scores positively on collection of user data: Report
4 years, 7 months ago

Aarogya Setu scores positively on collection of user data: Report

India TV News  

Researchers at MIT Technology Review have given 2 out of 5 points to Aarogya Setu app on its COVID-19 app tracker index, saying it scores positively on the timely deletion of user data and collection of only useful data. Aarogya Setu scored positively on the timely deletion of user data and collection of only useful data but "failed to score …

Plea in Kerala HC against Centre’s directive on Arogya Setu app
4 years, 8 months ago

Plea in Kerala HC against Centre’s directive on Arogya Setu app

The Hindu  

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Friday asked the Centre government to respond to a writ petition challenging the Centre’s directive to make the use of Aarogya Setu app mandatory for all employees, including those in the private sector. In his petition, John Daniel, General Secretary, Thrissur District Congress Committee, points out that the app is a …

Surveillance system or Covid-19 tracker? Coronavirus tracing Aarogya Setu app raises privacy concerns in India
4 years, 8 months ago

Surveillance system or Covid-19 tracker? Coronavirus tracing Aarogya Setu app raises privacy concerns in India

Hindustan Times  

As India enters an extended coronavirus lockdown, the government is actively pursuing contact tracing to help control infections. In this Thursday, May 7, 2020 photo, an Indian man uses Aarogya Setu app on his mobile phone in New Delhi, India. In April, India launched the Aarogya Setu app, which helps people identify whether they have been near someone who tested …

Today’s cache | Security issue in Aarogya Setu app, and more
4 years, 8 months ago

Today’s cache | Security issue in Aarogya Setu app, and more

The Hindu  

India’s Aarogya Setu app has been flagged for security issue that will put data of 90 million Indians at risk, a cybersecurity expert says. Hacker finds security issue in Aarogya Setu App A French cybersecurity expert and ethical hacker, who goes by the name ‘Elliot Alderson,’ flagged security issues within the Aarogya Setu app. The team has also denied that …

Aarogya Setu: Phones without app will draw punishment for users in Noida, Greater Noida
4 years, 8 months ago

Aarogya Setu: Phones without app will draw punishment for users in Noida, Greater Noida

Live Mint  

The Covid-19 tracker—'Aarogya Setu' app—is now mandatory for all smartphone users in Noida and Greater Noida. The app has been made mandatory for government employees and private employees in the country and now Noida Police has issued an order that asks all residents to download Aarogya Setu on their smartphones. Not having the 'Aarogya Setu' app on smartphones while out …

Coronavirus Outbreak: Aarogya Setu team says 'no user data at risk' after French hacker raises concerns over 'security of 90 million Indians'
4 years, 8 months ago

Coronavirus Outbreak: Aarogya Setu team says 'no user data at risk' after French hacker raises concerns over 'security of 90 million Indians'

Firstpost  

The official handle of Aarogya Setu contact-tracing app, developed by the National Informatics Centre, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, asserted late on Tuesday that “no personal information of any user has been proven to be at risk”. The official handle of the Aarogya Setu contact-tracing app, developed by the National Informatics Centre, under the Ministry of Electronics …

App for one season: on Centre's directive to use Arogya Setu
4 years, 8 months ago

App for one season: on Centre's directive to use Arogya Setu

The Hindu  

The Centre’s national directive for the mandatory use of its contact tracing app, Aarogya Setu, as part of its COVID-19 combat measures, falls short of established legal standards for the protection of privacy. Going by the directive issued under the Disaster Management Act, all people residing in ‘containment zones’, all government and public sector staff and all employees, both public …

Legal Flaws On The Mandatory Imposition Of Aarogya Setu App
4 years, 8 months ago

Legal Flaws On The Mandatory Imposition Of Aarogya Setu App

Live Law  

The extension of the "nationwide lockdown" by another two weeks has brought with it a slew of further directions under the National Disaster Management Act. In this post, however, I want to briefly consider Guideline 15 of Annexure 1, which mandates the use of the government's contact tracing app – Aarogya Setu – for all private and public employees, and …

Aarogya Setu app is a powerful companion to protect people: Ravi Shankar Prasad
4 years, 8 months ago

Aarogya Setu app is a powerful companion to protect people: Ravi Shankar Prasad

India TV News  

Aarogya Setu is a powerful companion which protects people, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday said in his response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who raised doubts over the coronavirus tracker app. Gandhi, in a tweet, alleged that the app was outsourced to a private operator "with no institutional oversight" while also raising concerns over data security and privacy. …

‘Privacy minefield’: India COVID-19 app raises surveillance fears
4 years, 8 months ago

‘Privacy minefield’: India COVID-19 app raises surveillance fears

Al Jazeera  

Experts raise privacy concerns over government’s Aarogya Setu app, now mandatory for public and private sector workers. Indian authorities have made a contact-tracing mobile app mandatory for all public and private sector employees, raising concerns among digital rights experts about privacy and increased surveillance. “Use of Aarogya Setu app shall be made mandatory for all employees, both private and public,” …

Aarogya Setu app and data privacy: Why the outrage is misplaced
4 years, 8 months ago

Aarogya Setu app and data privacy: Why the outrage is misplaced

Op India  

The word Privacy basically means “freedom from unauthorized intrusion”, therefore when something is felt to be private by a person it means there are sensitivities involved and constitutes privacy. As a society, we tend to often get confused when on one side there are people fighting tooth and nail on privacy with government and on the other side we see …

Centre tells its employees to download Aarogya Setu app
4 years, 8 months ago

Centre tells its employees to download Aarogya Setu app

Hindustan Times  

The central government has ordered all of its departments to ensure their staff install the Aarogya Setu mobile application and attend offices only if they have been classified as “safe” or “low risk” according to it, according to an order issued on Wednesday. “Before starting for office, they should review their status on Aarogya Setu and commute only when the …

All Central govt. officials to use Aarogya Setu app
4 years, 8 months ago

All Central govt. officials to use Aarogya Setu app

The Hindu  

All Central government officials, including the outsourced workforce, have been directed to immediately download the Aarogya Setu App on their mobile phones. The officials, through an office memorandum on Wednesday, have been told by the Department of Personnel and Training to review their status on the app before starting for office and commute only when it shows their status as …

Coronavirus | What are the concerns around the Aarogya Setu app?
4 years, 8 months ago

Coronavirus | What are the concerns around the Aarogya Setu app?

The Hindu  

The story so far: On April 2, the AarogyaSetu app — for pan-India use and available in 11 languages — was launched as the main contact tracing technology endorsed by the Central government. The AarogyaSetu app faces the same issue as every other contact tracing technology that has come up during the pandemic period — it is people dependent. Jason …

CBSE Promotes Aarogya Setu App, Asks Schools to Sign Up Parents
4 years, 8 months ago

CBSE Promotes Aarogya Setu App, Asks Schools to Sign Up Parents

The Quint  

The Central Board of Secondary Education on Thursday, 23 April, asked schools to urge parents to download the government's Aarogya Setu app, in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. From India’s public broadcaster Prasar Bharati to private educational institutions, like Sharda University and Mother’s International School, many have made it mandatory to download the app On …

Aarogya Setu not a magic tool; it breaches privacy
4 years, 8 months ago

Aarogya Setu not a magic tool; it breaches privacy

Deccan Chronicle  

On April 14, Prasar Bharati issued an office memorandum making it mandatory for its staff to install the Aarogya Setu app. There are apprehensions that the government may eventually make it compulsory, like Aadhaar once was, to run the downloaded app in order to either access government facilities and services or even to enter public spaces. This does not appear …

Army tells personnel to use cyber safety precautions while using Aarogya Setu app
4 years, 8 months ago

Army tells personnel to use cyber safety precautions while using Aarogya Setu app

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: The Indian Army has asked its personnel to use the Covid-19 contact-tracing app Aarogya Setu with caution while following all cyber security precautions. While urging download of the Aarogya Setu app, it advised personnel to avoid it in office premises, operational areas and sensitive locations. “Existing cyber security policies on usage of mobile phones must be adhered to …

Opinion | The privacy features that are built into Aarogya Setu
4 years, 9 months ago

Opinion | The privacy features that are built into Aarogya Setu

Live Mint  

The biggest challenge in dealing with covid-19 is that infected people are contagious long before they are visibly symptomatic. Last week, the Indian government launched an app called Aarogya Setu to try and use data science to solve this problem. Over the past two weeks, I have been advising the government on how best to design Aarogya Setu so that …

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