Source: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central
What you need to know
- The Aarogya Setu contact tracing app reportedly enables federal surveillance.
- It was launched by the Indian government last month to help fight COVID-19 in the country.
- The app has been installed by over 75 million smartphone users in India so far.
India rolled out a contact tracing app called Aarogya Setu last month to help track coronavirus infection in the country. While it started as a voluntary app, the Indian government recently made it mandatory for all employees in the country. However, various privacy-focused groups have been raising concerns about the app's information collection ever since it was launched.
An independent analysis of the contact tracing app by the folks at Gizmodo has found that the app enables federal surveillance and also makes devices vulnerable to a wide range of hacks. The app requires users to provide basic information such as their age, gender, and travel history to get started. Users are also required to allow the app to access their location data and keep Bluetooth turned on at all times.
Along with using location data from the phone's GPS, the app can access users' "coarse location" as well, pulled from data such as the Wi-Fi networks that phones connects to. And since the app requires Bluetooth to be turned on at all times, it negatively impacts battery life and enables hackers to exploit Bluetooth security flaws to tap into sensitive user data. So while the app might prove helpful in reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the country to an extent, it also appears to be putting the privacy of millions of Indians at risk.
Contact tracing stirs debate in Canada
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
Review: Xplora X5 Play is a kids smartwatch with a lot of potential
Kids smartwatches are moving from only being a toy, to being full-fledged communication and safety devices. In that spirit, the Xplora X5 Play offers excellent, matured hardware with some fun ways to encourage children to be active. But does it all work in a cohesive package?
Top 5 things I want to see from the cheaper OnePlus 9R
I don't know about you, but I've been eagerly anticipating the launch of the OnePlus 9 series for months. I'm specifically excited about what the lower-cost, value flagship OnePlus 9R might look like. Here's a short wishlist of features that I hope it has.
Everything announced in Sony's March 2021 PSVR spotlight
Sony is proving that the PSVR's life is far from over with six brand new titles coming soon to the PS4 and PS5.
Here are the best kids masks for back to school in 2020
Now that kids are heading back to school, it's important to equip them with protective face masks. But there's an overwhelming amount of choice out there. We've scoured the Internet to find you some of the best ones in various styles, sizes, and types.