New Delhi: Over 40 technology rights and civil society organisations have written to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), protesting against the mandatory use of the ‘Aarogya Setu’ app, a COVID-10 digital contact tracing initiative that has been criticised for was launched to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
The petition — which was sent on May 1, with a cover letter sent on May 2 after the home ministry’s most recent order — expresses “serious concern about violation of privacy of workers through mandated use of the Aarogya Setu mobile app”.
“At present, the Aarogya Setu app is operating in a legal vacuum and its Privacy Policy and Terms of Service do not comply with data protection principles of purpose limitation, data minimization, storage limitation, accuracy, integrity and confidentiality, and transparency and fairness in processing,” the petition says.
“In the absence of a legislative guarantee containing a sunset clause, sensitive personal data… could be misused for profiling and mass surveillance even after the COVID-19 outbreak is over.”
The signatories include organisations like Amnesty India, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Asia Dalit Rights Forum, All India Central Council of Trade Unions, PUDR, Indian Journalists Union, MKSS and Indian Federation of AppTransport Workers. Over a hundred other prominent individuals have also endorsed the petition including retired bureacrats, advocates and other civil society leaders.
A separate cover letter to the petition sent by the Internet Freedom Foundation on May 2 asks for a specific review of the recent home ministry order mandating that all office workers download the app and that there be 100% coverage of the same in containment zones.
“Through this covering letter we at IFF assert that the original text of the demands… have clearly indicated the harm and injury which will be caused due to the mandatory imposition of Aarogya Setu. We assert that the reasoning and the demands which require a greater focus on health care and labour rights during this time are the prefered constitutional obligation and goal as opposed to the mandatory installation of a smartphone application. Worse, the non-compliance invites a criminal penalty thereby being a threat not only to the livelihood but also the liberty of workers all across India,” the letter says.
“This marks a dramatic shift from a model of, ‘encouragement’ and trust to one of, coercion and compulsion which we urge your offices to kindly reconsider.”
Both letters can be read below in full.
01.05.2020 – Finalised Join… by The Wire on Scribd
02.05.2020 – Covering Lette… by The Wire on Scribd