Aarogya Setu: Why the Covid-19 app is controversial

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Aarogya Setu app has crossed 100 million downloads

Aarogya Setu means "bridge to health" in Sanskrit - was launched 2 April 2020.
India has made it mandatory for government and private sector employees to download it. But users and technology experts around the world say the app has raised huge data security concerns.

How does it work?


Aarogya setu app uses your phone's Bluetooth and location data, it lets you know if they have been near a person with Covid-19 by scanning a database of known cases of infection.

The data is then shared with the government.

If the user met someone in the last two weeks who were tested corona positive, the app calculates your risk of infection based on how recent it was and recommends measures

While your name and number won't be made public, but the app does collect this information, also your gender, travel history and whether you are a smoker.

Is it mandatory to download the app?


Prime Minster Narendra Modi has tweeted and showed support for the app, urging everyone to download it. It's mandatory for citizens living in containment zones and for all government and private sector employees.

Food delivery start-ups such as Zomato and Swiggy have also made it mandatory for all staff.



What are the concerns over privacy?

  • Aarogya setu app requires access to  Bluetooth and location  which becomes a concern for the data privacy.
  • Again Aarogya setu provides some notification which can be used by hackers to send fake links and do physhing attacks[physhing attacks are the attacks in which the user clicks on a link sent by the hacker and the hacker can get access over user's device's data]. 
  • On 2 April 2020 after the app was launched a software engineer at Bengaluru managed to hack into the databases of the app within five hours after the app was launched. Later on, he discussed the problem regarding the app with government authorities.
  • The source code of the app is not available to check out faults present inside the app.
  • The app asks the user to check the symptoms and answer some questions, it is on the user to tell the result which makes the process complex as anyone can answer the questions incorrectly and travel anywhere and spread the virus. 





Govt. authorities and the app development team are bringing new updates and trying there best to fight against this epidemic. But still the same question arises that " Really the app is useful? since the user is the only one to decide whether he is having corona or not." 

I would wish to tell you that "Till now there is just one measure which is functioning effectively that's keeping social distancing so stay at your places and I pray that all of us stay safe"


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Comments

Unknown said…
Very nice blog.....everything is informative
June 3, 2020 at 11:15 PM
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