Government has termed a prominent newspaper Op-Ed which alleges that Arogya Setu app will be used for surveillance as baseless. In a series of tweets, it said the mobile application does not link user location and user data with any sensitive personal data. Neither does it make users vulnerable to hacking. The Centre clarified that the app is not used for surveillance and it follows best practices on data privacy and data security.

Few days back, the mobile app was launched to bring the people of India together in a resolute fight against COVID-19. The app enables people to assess themselves the risk for their catching the Coronavirus infection. It calculates this based on their interaction with others, using cutting edge Bluetooth technology, algorithms and artificial intelligence.

The app is also for helping the Government to take necessary timely steps for assessing risk of spread of COVID-19 infection, and ensuring isolation where required.