India follows China's lead to widen use of coronavirus tracing app
NEW DELHI: India is aggressively pushing a state-backed contact tracing app to fight the spread of COVID-19, raising fears that the world's second-most populous nation is on its way to Chinese-style methods of high tech social control.
On top of that, the federal government earlier this month made use of the app mandatory for all public and private sector employees returning to work as the world's biggest lockdown eases-drawing sharp criticism from digital rights' advocates. The railway ministry, which is currently running special trains to take migrant workers and others to their home towns, has ordered all passengers to download Aarogya Setu"before commencing their journey".
The system could be used to create permanent government databases containing sensitive personal information about Indian citizens, said New Delhi-based digital rights group Internet Freedom Foundation . The technology ministry has previously said that the Aarogya Setu app can help authorities identify virus hot spots and better target health efforts, and that information would be used"only for administering necessary medical interventions".
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
COVID-19: India PM announces US$270b economic packageNEW DELHI: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled on Tuesday (May 12) a stimulus package worth 10 per cent of the country's GDP to boost ...
Read more »
COVID-19: India PM announces US$270b economic packageNEW DELHI: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled on Tuesday (May 12) a stimulus package worth 10 per cent of the country's GDP to boost ...
Read more »
Green or red light: China COVID-19 app is ticket to everywhereBEIJING: To enter many offices, restaurants, parks or malls in China nowadays, people must show their status on an app that determines whether ...
Read more »
Republican bill seeks sanctions on China over COVID-19 probeWASHINGTON: A leading US Republican senator on Tuesday (May 12) proposed legislation that would authorise the US president to impose far-reaching ...
Read more »
Republican Bill seeks sanctions on China over COVID-19 probeWASHINGTON: A leading US Republican senator on Tuesday (May 12) proposed legislation that would authorise the US president to impose far-reaching ...
Read more »
US Senate threatens sanctions on China over Covid-19 accountingWASHINGTON (AFP) - US Republican senators proposed legislation on Tuesday (May 12) that would empower President Donald Trump to slap sanctions on China if Beijing does not give a 'full accounting' for the coronavirus outbreak.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »