Covid 19 Fourth wave scare: Know how your data is managed by Aarogya Setu app

If the COVID-19 cases increase again, then there are chances that the consumers might need Aarogya Setu app.

When an user registers with the App, the following details are collected : (i) name; (ii) phone number; (iii) age; (iv) sex; (v) profession; and (vi) countries visited in the last 30 days.

The information about the Aarogya Setu app reveals a lack of audit procedures as well as any technique for data anonymization. To allay concerns about data privacy, the government implemented the Aarogya Setu Protocol. The NIC's RTI responses now demonstrate that the body was unable to apply these protocols.

The Aarogya Setu app is monitored by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

According to the Aarogya Setu Data Access and Knowledge Sharing Protocol, the app's user's personal information, including contacts and location, must be permanently wiped after 180 days "from the date on which it is obtained," and data can only be used for health purposes.

According to an MIT Technology Review database, Aarogya Setu, India's contact-tracing app to prevent COVID-19, offers considerable threats to the user's privacy when compared to similar apps in other nations. Despite the fact that there is no clarification on the app's design and security, it has been made mandatory in some places.