The federal government making the Aarogya Setu cell software necessary for all staff raises critical knowledge safety questions, senior Congress chief Shashi Tharoor stated on Monday, asserting that COVID-19 should not turn into an excuse for the creation of a “surveillance state” in India. The cell software helps customers establish whether or not they’re susceptible to the COVID-19 an infection. It additionally supplies folks with vital data, together with methods to keep away from the coronavirus and its signs.
“The federal government’s requirement that the Aarogya Setu app is now necessary for all staff, public or non-public, raises critical privateness and knowledge safety questions. COVID-19 should not turn into an excuse for creation of a ‘surveillance state’ in India,” Tharoor tweeted.
The central authorities has made it obligatory for all its staff to obtain the app and urged non-public entitles to additionally ask their staff to make use of it.
Tharoor’s assault on the federal government got here two days after Congress chief Rahul Gandhi stated the Aarogya Setu cell software is a “refined surveillance system” outsourced to a non-public operator, elevating critical knowledge safety and privateness issues.