The case of alleged data breach in Andhra Pradesh, which investigators are calling possibly “one of the biggest cases in the world after Cambridge Analytica”, is shocking (“Police ask IT firm chief to surrender”, March 5). That the breach may also be linked to a political party’s app in order to aid it in the election is even more unsettling. The government’s recent directive, that allows 10 agencies to monitor citizens’ digital footprints, along with reports of “leaks” from the Aadhaar database will disincentivise people from using digital channels, especially government initiatives, to collect data. This case is yet another instance of why people in India need to be wary of trusting the government with their data. This trust deficit could also seriously impact India’s digital revolution. Delaying the promulgation of a data protection law is the root cause of such breaches as there are no robust mechanisms to hold the perpetrators accountable.
Y. Meena,
Hyderabad