Government of India launches ArogyaSetu app to track COVID-19 infection

The Government of India has launched AarogyaSetu mobile app developed in public-private partnership to enable people to assess themselves the risk for their catching the Coronavirus infection. The app tracks through a Bluetooth and GPS generated social graph and your interaction with someone who could have tested COVID-19 positive. Once installed, the app detects other devices with AarogyaSetu installed that come in the proximity of that phone. The app can then calculate the risk of infection based on sophisticated parameters if any of these contacts is tested positive. The Government says that this will help them take necessary timely steps for assessing risk of spread of COVID-19 infection, and ensuring isolation where required. You need to give permission for Bluetooth, location and data sharing to use this app, however personal data collected by the app is encrypted and stays secure on the phone till it is needed for facilitating medical intervention, says the government. Available in 11 languages, the app is available for both Android and iOS. Regarding this the government said: This app is a unique example of the nation’s young talent coming together and pooling resources and efforts to respond to a global crisis. It is at once a bridge between public and ...