Arogya Setu App – Peep into the Privacy of the Citizen

New Delhi: Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) national general secretary Abdul Majeed KH stated that Arogya Setu, the contact tracing app that the central government has introduced in the backdrop of Covid19 spread is a peep into the privacy of the citizen. The app was released by the central government in cooperation with the Electronics and IT Ministry on 2nd April. This app that works using the location of the user and Bluetooth keeps the citizen under surveillance always. The danger of this app is that any activity of the citizen including private interventions could be followed using it. The app shares the data of the person with central government. Personal data such as name, gender, age, occupation, details of the places one travelled to, etc. are to be provided for registration. Besides, the health history of the person should also be provided. The app initially proposed to be used voluntarily by the citizen was later made mandatory for all by the central government. Centre has made it clear that the head of the company shall be held responsible if at all its employee is found to be not using this app on his phone. Moreover, it raises a high data security issue of a private operator being able to outsource this app through which the citizens could be precisely tracked without their knowledge.

Abdul Majeed demanded that this app that captures and markets the privacy of the citizen, and that keeps the citizen under absolute surveillance should be withdrawn immediately; and various political, social and civil rights organizations should come against this app.