Aarogya Setu mandatory in containment zones; private firms question move



The government on Friday mandated the use of its contact tracing app Aarogya Setu in containment zones and for all public and private entity employees, raising questions about the privacy, legality and efficacy of such a measure.

In its annexure to the lockdown extension guidelines on Friday, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that for containment zones, "The local authority shall ensure 100% coverage of Aarogya Setu app among the residents of containment zones."

It further said "Use of Aarogya Setu app shall be mandatory for all employees, both private and public It shall be the responsibility of the Head of the respective Organizations to ensure 100% coverage of this app among the employees."

Privacy experts and technology lawyers have long questioned the efficacy of using contact tracing apps at large scale without adequate testing for coronavirus (Covid-19).




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