Rahul Gandhi raises security, privacy concerns over Arogya Setu app, Ravi Shankar Prasad hits back

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New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday (May 2) said Arogya Setu mobile application is a 'sophisticated surveillance system' outsourced to a private operator, raising serious data security and privacy concerns.

"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 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. — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 2, 2020

Hitting back at Rahul's claim, Union IT and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the app has a 'robust data security and is a powerful companion which protects people in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic'.

"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!" Prasad said in a tweet. Justifying that the app is not outsourced to any private operator, the minister asked Rahul to 'sto outsourcing' his tweets to his cronies who do not understand the country.

"Aarogya Setu is now being appreciated globally. The App is NOT outsourced to any private operator. Mr. Gandhi really high time that you stop outsourcing your tweets to your cronies who do not understand India," he said in another tweet.

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 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 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.