Privacy fears as India hand stamps, tracks suspected Covid-19 cases


Men wearing protective masks walk inside the premises of a hospital where a special ward has been set up for the coronavirus disease in Mumbai, India. In southern Kerala state, authorities have used telephone call records, CCTV footage, and mobile phone GPS systems to track down primary and secondary contacts of coronavirus patients. Officials also published detailed time and date maps of the movement of people who tested positive. — Reuters

MUMBAI/CHENNAI: People suspected of having the coronavirus in India have received hand stamps and are being tracked using their mobile phones and personal data to help enforce quarantines, raising concerns about privacy and mass surveillance.

The outbreak, termed Covid-19, has infected more than 234,000 people worldwide and killed nearly 10,000, according to a Reuters tally.

Subscribe now to our Premium Plan for an ad-free and unlimited reading experience!
   

Next In Tech News

Factbox-Jefferies sees AI fuelling next wave of innovation in oil and gas sector
Robinhood Markets removes three crypto tokens
Netflix sign-ups jump as U.S. password sharing crackdown kicks off - data
Indian scooter maker Ola Electric to kick off investor meet on IPO plans- sources
Activision intervenes in Microsoft challenge to UK regulator's block
'AI doctor' better at predicting patient outcomes, including death
Adobe to sell generative AI subscription with copyright assurance
Report: Meta's Zuckerberg shakes off Apple Vision Pro
Chinese boy, 8, living with father after parents’ divorce filmed waiting with pyjamas outside mother’s flat goes viral
‘Our love is not worth RM246,000?’: Man in China breaks up with girlfriend of eight years after parents seek high bride price for ‘pretty’ daughter

Others Also Read