‘Aarogya Setu has picked up 13,000 Covid-19 positive users’

After concerns of privacy over the Aarogya Setu app emerged, which is used for tracking Covid-19, the Centre has clarified that data of only those persons who were tested positive and were registered on the app was pulled by the government servers. This data was later used to alert those persons who may have come in contact with the people who tested positive.

Ajay Sawhney, Chairperson, Empowered Group on Technology and Data Management, said, “While app has over 9.7 crore users, 13,000 of them were found to be Covid-19 positive. Their contact data was pulled into government servers and alerts were sent out to up to 1,37,297 individuals who may have come in touch with the positive individuals so they safeguard themselves,” he said.

On May 11, up to 67,152 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were detected, an increase of 4,213 cases from the previous day. In a first, over 4,000 new cases have been recorded in a single day. Of these 20,917 cases have recovered while there are 2,206 deaths.

The Aarogya Setu app currently possesses information of up to 20 per cent Covid-19 positive cases in the country and has been able to reach a contact-base that is 10 times that of the number of ‘positive’ individuals, Sawhney said.

“On downloading the app, a unique randomised anonymous device identity number is generated for the user. The user’s name is not used, while that information is in server, only device ID is used. When two people who use Aarogya Setu come near each other, this information is stored and encrypted via bluetooth on users’ mobile. If one of that person turns positive only then the data is uploaded on server,” Sawhney explained.

He also said that the app traces movements of positive cases over the past two weeks, and this data is combined with persons who ‘self report’ in communities so that developing hotspots can be predicted.

“Up to 697 potential hotspots’ information has been intimated in this manner to State and district officials. We have been able to trace locations till pin code level,” he said.

The contact and GPS data that is pulled in order to trace ‘positive’ persons and their contacts are deleted within 30 days, Sawhney said. “If you are being tested, then it will stay in the server for 35 days. After positive cases are cured, their data is deleted after 60 days at the most,” he said.

Also, regarding revised discharge policy of the Centre, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health, said that Covid-19 positive patients who have very mild symptoms and their symptoms are resolved within three days can be discharged from hospital facilities, in case they are admitted.

“There is no need to test very mild cases under home isolation. We are moving towards symptom-based policy rather than testing-based policy based on international evidence,” he said.

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