NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said Arogya Setu mobile application is a "sophisticated surveillance system" outsourced to a private operator, raising serious data security and privacy concerns.
Technology can help keep us safe, but fear must not be used to track citizens without their consent, he said. The mobile application helps users identify whether they are at risk of the COVID-19 infection. It also provides people with important information, including ways to avoid coronavirus and its symptoms.
"The Arogya Setu app, is a sophisticated surveillance system, outsourced to a pvt operator, with no institutional oversight - raising serious data security & privacy concerns. Technology can help keep us safe; but fear must not be leveraged to track citizens without their consent," he said on Twitter.
The central government has made it compulsory for all its employees to download the app and urged private entitles to also ask their employees to use it. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that various experts have raised multiple issues of privacy regarding Aarogya Setu app.
"We are looking at the privacy issues, as also the compulsory deduction of amount and hopefully within next 24 hours we will come with a more comprehensive and a calibrated response on the issue. But, these are areas of concern, we have noted," he said at a press conference.
Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi for calling 'Aarogya Setu' app a sophisticated surveillance system, the BJP on Saturday said the Congress leader spoke a "new lie" daily and retorted that those who indulged in surveillance all their lives won't know how technology can be leveraged for good.
Senior party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is also communications, electronics and information technology minister, rejected Gandhi's charge that the app has been outsourced to a private operator and asserted that it has a robust data security architecture.
"Mr Gandhi, really high time that you stop outsourcing your tweets to your cronies who do not understand India," he tweeted, adding that the app, which the government says is a tool in fighting the coronavirus, is being appreciated globally.
Attacking Gandhi, Prasad said, "Daily a new lie. 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!"
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra took a swipe at Gandhi, saying he refuses to grow up. "He is not only ignorant about the Aarogya Setu App but is also being extremely irresponsible by trying to mislead the people through misinformation and falsities.
"The government on multiple occasions has allayed the fears of surveillance and that too scientifically. The said app is technical personal bodyguard to each one to fight COVID-19," Patra said.
Gandhi refuses to understand, he said, adding that the Congress's only aim in the times of pandemic appears to spread confusion and derail the nation's fight against the pandemic. "The Congress should refrain from using the pandemic as a political opportunity," he said.
Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi for calling 'Aarogya Setu' app a sophisticated surveillance system, the BJP on Saturday said the Congress leader spoke a "new lie" daily and retorted that those who indulged in surveillance all their lives won't know how technology can be leveraged for good.
Senior party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is also communications, electronics and information technology minister, rejected Gandhi's charge that the app has been outsourced to a private operator and asserted that it has a robust data security architecture.
"Mr Gandhi, really high time that you stop outsourcing your tweets to your cronies who do not understand India," he tweeted, adding that the app, which the government says is a tool in fighting the coronavirus, is being appreciated globally.
Attacking Gandhi, Prasad said, "Daily a new lie. 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!"
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra took a swipe at Gandhi, saying he refuses to grow up. "He is not only ignorant about the Aarogya Setu App but is also being extremely irresponsible by trying to mislead the people through misinformation and falsities.
"The government on multiple occasions has allayed the fears of surveillance and that too scientifically. The said app is technical personal bodyguard to each one to fight COVID-19," Patra said.
Gandhi refuses to understand, he said, adding that the Congress's only aim in the times of pandemic appears to spread confusion and derail the nation's fight against the pandemic. "The Congress should refrain from using the pandemic as a political opportunity," he said.