The Congress on Monday denied the accusations that they had deleted the WithINC app from the PlayStore because of the tweet shared by Elliot Alderson, a French cyber securty expert, stating that the app had not been used for over five months.
The Congress on Monday denied the accusations that they had deleted the WithINC app from the PlayStore because of the tweet shared by Elliot Alderson, a French cyber securty expert, stating that the app had not been used for over five months.
The war of words between the Congress and BJP continues, with Congress President Rahul Gandhi continuing his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s app that he alleges has leaked the data of all those who have downloaded it on the PlayStore.
Taking to Twitter, the Congress President to allege that PM Modi had ‘misused his position’ to build a personal database with data on millions of Indians via the Namo app promoted by the government. “If as PM he wants to use tech to communicate with India, no problem. But use the official PMO APP for it. This data belongs to India, not Modi,” Gandhi tweeted.
Earlier, Gandhi compared the prime minister to a ‘Big Brother’ stating that he was watching all those who had downloaded the app, thanks to the easy availability of user data.
His allegations came a day after French security expert Elliot Alderson in a detailed interview shared that the Namo app had leaked user data. However, a few hours later, Alderson even tweeted that the Congress app had leaked data of its users. The Congress had soon deleted its app from the PlayStore after this claim, prompting senior BJP leaders to question what the party was hiding. Alderson also took up Rahul Gandhi's challenge that the Namo app secretly "recorded audio, video, contacts of friends and family and tracked location via GPS".
Interestingly, Pratik Sinha, the founder of Alt News, a news busting site, rubbished Rahul Gandhi's claims.
Earlier, Alderson claimed that the app collects extensive information about its user’s device, including the type of operating system and network, as well as personal details such as name, gender, pictures and email address, and sends it to a third party domain without the user’s consent. He was going to expose the Congress’ PlayStore app before the party deleted it.
Meanwhile, head of BJP’s Information Technology Cell Amit Malviya lashed out at the Congress, saying that the Congress President had no right to make such claims, given that the INC app also breached data of people who downloaded the app.
Taking to his Twitter handle, Malviya shared a picture of the disclaimer of the site and targeted the Congress party for being upfront to accept that they will share the data with a third party.
"Full marks to @INCIndia for stating upfront that they'll give your data to **practically anyone** - undisclosed vendors, unknown volunteers, even 'groups with similar causes'. In the theft of all forms, Congress has never been discreet!," he added.
The BJP IT cell head further alleged that if the "Congress party says that they will share data with like-minded people, then chances are that it could be people like Maoists, stone pelters, Chinese embassy and Cambridge Analytica."
Union textiles minister Smriti Irani, too, lashed out at the Congress president for his criticism of the prime minister. “Even ‘Chhota Bheem’ knows that commonly asked permission on Apps don’t tantamount to snooping,” she tweeted.
Earlier, the The Narendra Modi app developers tweaked its privacy policy after reports on the app breaching data did the rounds on social media.
The NaMo app updates users about achievements of the BJP government, and provides access to the audio of Prime Minister’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
Earlier, the BJP and Congress hit out over the alleged breach in user data with regards to the Namo app.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi had attacked PM Modi over the data theft. "Hi! My name is Narendra Modi. I am India's Prime Minister. When you sign up for my official App, I give all your data to my friends in American companies," he tweeted.
In response, the BJP lambasted Gandhi, saying that he and his party had zero knowledge when it came to using technology.
"Rahul Gandhi is in sublime form these days. After MRI & NCC, today he exposes his great knowledge about technology. He is so rattled by the Cambridge Analyitca expose that he daily tries to divert attention from it, yesterday it was the judiciary and today it is Namo App," the BJP tweeted from its official handle.
In a series of tweets, a party spokesperson added, "Rahul Gandhi truly shows why he and his party have zero knowledge of technology. All they can do is scare the masses about technology while they continue to steal data using his ‘Brahmastra’ of Cambridge Analytica. We all know that Rahul Gandhi is no match for Narendra Modi. But seeing his fright about the Namo App, is very amusing. When his bots tried to trend #DeleteNamoApp day before yesterday, the popularity and downloads of Namo App only increased. Today, it will be no different! We also take this opportunity to encourage Rahul Gandhi to download NaMo App to keep himself apprised of the good things happening in India (sic)," the party tweeted.
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