HYDERABAD: Ashok Dakavaram, a native of Andhra Pradesh returned to India after working abroad for a few years. He founded IT Grid in 2013 which was hired by several political parties and candidates to analyse the ‘pulse of the voters’.
IT Grids India Pvt limited developed around seven mobile applications, of which five were related to AP government schemes and two for TDP’s promotional activities. In the Seva Mitra app, each Seva Mitra (worker) is allocated to a polling booth, where they collect details of voters in their booth area, like political preferences and their caste. This data was synced with data pertaining to government schemes, allegedly stolen by developers.
The final details of the voters came out with minute details like colour photographs, mobile numbers, family background and also the benefits each family member was receiving from the government. It even gave the application users details of the quantity of ration the voter had received.
IT Grid also facilitated leaders’ interactions with voters. Claiming to have access to voters’ data, Dakavaram offered services to different political parties and even supported them actively during the 2014 elections.
But soon after the London-based Cambridge Analytica shut shop after it was accused of harvesting personal data of millions via their Facebook profiles, sans their consent, for political purposes. Ashok followed suit and closed his website, but continued his operations elsewhere.