Rahul Gandhi terms Aarogya Setu a 'sophisticated surveillance system', RS Prasad hits back

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi has voiced his concern over the government’s Aarogya Setu app. The senior Congress leader has accused the app of being a ‘sophisticated surveillance system’, questioning its credentials on data security and raising privacy-related 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,” Gandhi tweeted. 

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.

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— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 2, 2020

He tweeted saying: 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.

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.

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— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) May 2, 2020

Rahul Gandhi's comments come after the Centre made it mandatory for all government and private sector employees to download the Aarogya Setu app. The rule is also applicable to people living in COVID-19 containment zones.

Also Read: How to use the Aarogya Setu app and what are its features?

Aarogya Setu has been under the radar over privacy concerns, despite the NITI Aayog assuring top-class privacy protocols.

The COVID-19 contact tracing and information dissemination app has already crossed 7.5 crore downloads and could soon be a default app on smartphones.