Cities, states launch Covid-19 apps across India, many lack privacy controls

BENGALURU: States, city municipal corporations as well as police departments across India have launched 40 apps for Covid-19 contact tracing, quarantine tracking, providing health information and to generate e-passes, even as the central government’s Aarogya Setu app remains the face of Covid-19 contact tracing efforts across the country.

These apps have garnered several million downloads already, but many lack a clear or strong privacy policy although they collect personal information such as location data, photos, media, camera, call information, WiFi connection information and device ID, privacy advocates said.

In the absence of a privacy law, privacy activists have termed the apps’ policies and terms of service as ineffective, weak and confusing.