Govt dismisses privacy concerns with Aarogya Setu, assures data of 9 cr people safe

government's mobile application 'Aarogya Setu' app has been helping immensely to curb spread of Coronavirus crisis. COVID-19 contact-tracing app is also safest application and was designed keeping user’s privacy in mind, said Ajay Sawhney, Chairman of Empowered Group-9 which handles techlogy and data manment for fighting pandemic.

Concerns surrounding privacy and security of app has been questioned by opposition parties, was addressed in health briefing on Monday.

"A lot of work was done over data privacy... Aarogya Setu app will continue to play a crucial role in India's fight against COVID-19. app has been developed in order to alert people before y come in contact with infected patients, it also enables self-assessment," Sawhney said in a press conference.

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Sawhney said that travel history of positive patients is combined with self-assessment data submitted by users, which allows application to identify potential hotspot areas and prompt user upon entering high-risk zones. Information on 697 such hotspot areas identified by application has been sent to states, he added.

"A unique anymous randomised ID is generated for device of a new user, only this ID is used, name of user is t used by app," he furr said.

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‘Aarogya Setu app registers 9 crore downloads’

government app for tracking coronavirus patients has recorded close to 90 million (9 crores) downloads as of May 5 and is being updated with features like telemedicine, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said. Centre has made it mandatory for all citizens to use Aarogya Setu mobile application to bolster efforts to fight COVID-19 pandemic and entrusted organizational heads with ensuring its 100 per cent cover.

" Aaroygya Setu app has close to 90 million downloads till date & is being regularly updated, with feature like telemedicine being added," Kant told reporters in a media briefing.

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mobile application helps users identify wher y are at risk of COVID-19 infection. It also provides people with important information, including ways to avoid coronavirus infection. Kant, who also heads Empowered Group 6 on coordinating with private sector NGOs and international organizations to tackle coronavirus outbreak, said panel has mobilised more than 92,000 NGOs/CSOs registered on NGO Darpan.

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(With inputs from ncies)