[I. <<***Described on PlayStore as the Official App of Prime Minister Narendra Modi*** [emphasis added], the NaMo App mentions “Bharatiya Janata Party, 11 Ashoka Road, New Delhi-110001”, which used to be BJP headquarters till early last month, as the address of the developer. Other political parties, too, use apps to connect to the electorate. The Congress party’s ‘With INC’ App demands access to ten data tracks. The SP App published by Anil Yadav, who describes himself as “Media Spokesperson, Samajwadi Party” on his verified Twitter account, requires three data access points. The NaMo App is promoted through official government channels. Exam Warriors, Modi’s recently launched book aimed at the students preparing for the annual school exams, encourages readers to download the NaMo app. The book was launched by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar in English, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Hindi. On March 23, The Indian Express reported that ***personal data of nearly 13 lakh NCC cadets was being collected so that the Prime Minister could interact with them*** [emphasis added]. In a letter sent on February 23, the Director General of NCC told state directorates that the collection of data will facilitate this interaction “…***by downloading ‘Narendra Modi App’ in the cell phones of the cadets*** [emphasis added]”.>>
(Excerpted from sl. no. I. below.) II. <<It has now been discovered that to cover-up this issue, the privacy policy on PM Narendra Modi’s website has quietly been changed to accommodate for this lapse. A screenshot of the present policy can be seen below. ... Till a day before the exposé, the privacy policy on the website read as, “Your personal information and contact details shall remain confidential and shall not be used for any purpose other than our communication with you. The information shall not be provided to third parties in any manner whatsoever without your consent.” A screenshot of the same can be seen below.>> (Excerpted from: < https://www.altnews.in/after-namo-app-expose-privacy-policy-on-narendra-modis-website-makes-a-quiet-u-turn/ >. ***An excellent dissection of the Operation Cover-up***.) III. <<***Students enrolled in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) programme in the state are being asked to install the official app of Narendra Modi on their phones*** [emphasis added] ahead of a planned interaction with the prime minister in March. Schools and colleges, which are affiliated with the programme, started informing the students this week after receiving a directive from Mumbai-based ‘1 Maharashtra Naval Unit NCC’. The letter addressed to principals and associate NCC officers, who manage the cadets’ training, reads: “…***Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has desired a direct interaction with maximum cadets of NCC*** emphasis added]. This is feasible by downloading ‘Narendra Modi App’ in the cell phones of the cadets. Mid-March has been fixed for inviting the questions, queries and suggestions from the cadets via ‘Modi App’ directly to the PM (sic).” The missive, sent on February 26, ***asks schools and colleges to share, by Wednesday, a list of all NCC cadets, their mobile numbers and email addresses. In case, the cadets don’t have a phone, their parents’ numbers should be mentioned*** [emphasis added]. The nominal roll, as the list is called, will also include a “remarks column”. “This matter should be treated as very urgent,” the letter states.>> (Excerpted from: < https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/other/ten-hut-cadets-should-get-namo-app-schools-told/articleshow/63103092.cms >.) III. <<Elliot Alderson @fs0c131y Follow Follow @fs0c131y More .@narendramodi, I know privacy is not your thing but any thoughts about sharing the personal data of your users without their consent to a third-party company? 12:34 PM - 23 Mar 2018>> (Excerpted from: <https://twitter.com/fs0c131y/status/977267277237313536>.) IV. <<The Gandhi scion's (Rahul Gandhi's) latest salvo at PM comes amid allegations of Narendra Modi app, the personal mobile application of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, sharing private information of users to a third-party US company Clever Tap without their consent, French security researcher Elliot Alderson has claimed. ***Alderson shared a series of tweets claiming that when users create profile on Narendra Modi Android app, their device information, as well as personal data, is sent to a third-party domain called in.wzrkt.com., which apparently belongs to the US company*** [emphasis added].>> (Excerpeted from sl. no. II. below.) V. Now, something a bit hilarious! And, not so hilarious. <<As unusual as it may sound, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is miffed over the fact that MPs of BJP are not wishing him 'good morning' on NaMo app. Speaking at the BJP parliamentary party meeting on Thursday the prime minister said "I send good morning messages but apart from five or six MPs, no one responds." Modi also reportedly said that often, he sent important messages with his morning greetings, but these were missed too. Addressing the MPs PM Modi also urged them to be more active on the NaMo app. The BJP has total of 333 members in Parliament, 276 in the Lok Sabha, 57 in the Rajya Sabha. ... The NaMo app which was launched in 2015 allows users to receive messages directly from the PM and also post their own messages. Available on both Android and iOS platforms, the it has registered around 100,000 downloads on android.>> (Excerpted from: < https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/no-one-respond-to-my-good-morning-wishes-on-namo-app-narendra-modi-complains-to-bjp-mps-336582.html >.)] I/II. http://indianexpress.com/article/india/namo-app-asks-for-sweeping-access-camera-audio-among-22-inputs-facebook-data-leak-5111353/ Narendra Modi App asks for sweeping access: Camera, audio among 22 inputs The NaMo app updates users about achievements of the BJP government, and provides access to the audio of Prime Minister’s Mann Ki Baat. Written by Krishn Kaushik | New Delhi | Updated: March 26, 2018 9:50 am According to NaMo App’s description, “it brings to you the latest information, instant updates & helps you contribute towards various tasks. It provides a unique opportunity to receive messages and emails directly from the Prime Minister.” The BJP’s online showcase for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the NaMo App, which is under the spotlight in the wake of the debate over data privacy in social media, asks users to provide access to as many as 22 personal features on their devices, including location, photographs and contacts, microphone and camera. A comparative analysis by The Indian Express shows that this is more than what the official app of the Prime Minister’s Office, PMO India App, asks users to volunteer — access to 14 data points. The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology’s citizen-engagement app, MyGov app, asks for permission to access nine data points. Amazon India’s app needs 17 permissions on various counts from users. PayTM’s app demands access to 26 data points, and Delhi Police’s app asks for access to 25 tracks but they provide a wider range of services. The NaMo app updates users about achievements of the BJP government, and provides access to the audio of Prime Minister’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’. On Saturday, the user of Twitter handle @fs0c131y, described on the account as a “French security expert” and who identified himself to The Indian Express as Robert Baptiste, said the app may be providing personal user data to a third party without the users’ consent. He identified the company as US-based Clever Tap. Read | Narendra Modi Android app sharing personal info of users without consent: Researcher A day after these claims, the privacy policy at narendramodi.in — the website associated with the NaMo app — was updated to state that certain user information may be shared with third party services to “offer a better user experience”, “most contextual content and updates”. The information shared with third parties included, it says, name, email, mobile phone number, device information, location and network carrier. Read | Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi for NaMo‘data theft’, BJP says he has zero tech knowledge The policy earlier stated: “Your personal information and contact details shall remain confidential and shall not be used for any purpose other than our communication with you. The information shall not be provided to third parties in any manner whatsoever without your consent.” When contacted by The Indian Express for comment, the BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya did not respond to a specific question on whether this information was shared with a third party without the users’ consent. Read | Union Minister Alphons KJ dismisses Narendra Modi app data leak allegations as ‘fake stories’ Responding to a detailed questionnaire sent Saturday, Malviya said Sunday that data from the app is shared with a “third party service” for analytics, similar to Google Analytics. “The data in no way is stored or used by the third party services. Analytics and processing on the user data is done for offering users the most contextual content… It also enables a unique, personalised experience according to a person’s interests,” he said. [Chart comparing various apps - public and private. Lists out the 22 permissions that the NaMo app asks for.] Described on PlayStore as the Official App of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the NaMo App mentions “Bharatiya Janata Party, 11 Ashoka Road, New Delhi-110001”, which used to be BJP headquarters till early last month, as the address of the developer. Other political parties, too, use apps to connect to the electorate. The Congress party’s ‘With INC’ App demands access to ten data tracks. The SP App published by Anil Yadav, who describes himself as “Media Spokesperson, Samajwadi Party” on his verified Twitter account, requires three data access points. The NaMo App is promoted through official government channels. Exam Warriors, Modi’s recently launched book aimed at the students preparing for the annual school exams, encourages readers to download the NaMo app. The book was launched by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar in English, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Hindi. On March 23, The Indian Express reported that personal data of nearly 13 lakh NCC cadets was being collected so that the Prime Minister could interact with them. In a letter sent on February 23, the Director General of NCC told state directorates that the collection of data will facilitate this interaction “…by downloading ‘Narendra Modi App’ in the cell phones of the cadets”. Read | For chat with PM Modi, NCC collects mobile, email IDs of 13 lakh cadets According to NaMo App’s description, “it brings to you the latest information, instant updates & helps you contribute towards various tasks. It provides a unique opportunity to receive messages and emails directly from the Prime Minister.” Under details, the app specifies that “no permission is compulsory on the NM app” and has the facility that the user can disable the access for these permissions in settings. However, when it is downloaded, most of the permissions are given by default. It also mentions that the app can be accessed without registering with an email address or phone. According to the Supreme Court’s ruling on privacy in August 2017, informed consent is important for data protection and data privacy. The fact that permissions for the NaMo app are not compulsory can only be found if one goes through the Read More section of the app — users are not informed of it when downloading the app. Malviya said, “Each function asks for the specific permission when access is required. The app does not ask for blanket permissions when the app is started.” When the app is downloaded, it asks for access to the media stored on the phone, which can be denied. It does allow use of the app without registering, but a lot of the app’s features do not function in guest mode, or without allowing all the permissions sought. Malviya said that “unlike most Apps” the NaMo app allows users access in guest mode without “any permission or data”. The permissions required for the app, he added, “are all contextual and cause-specific”. On Saturday, Baptiste had tweeted: “When you create a profile in the official @narendramodi #Android app, all your device info (OS, network type, Carrier .) and personal data (email, photo, gender, name, .) are send without your consent to a third-party domain called http://in.wzrkt.com.” Baptiste said that wzrkt.com was a property of a company named Clever Tap. Actually, Clever Tap is a company owned by Wizrocket, which is a data analytics start-up founded in Mumbai in May 2013, and is now headquartered in California. On its website, Clever Tap mentions that it helps organisations analyse data for stronger engagement with their users. It helps its clients, it says on its website under user segmentation to “influence” app users’ “behaviour” by uncovering key insights across various dimensions. The NaMo App does not have any specific option of users consenting to their data being shared with Clever Tap. Speaking to The Indian Express, Baptiste said, “the main issue” is that “personal” information of users is “shared without the consent of the user” with a third-party company. “These data can be used for a lot of things after that (sic),” he said. “Like they did for Cambridge Analytica for example.” He was referring to the UK-based political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, which is at the centre of a worldwide storm over its role in illegally using private information of Facebook users to influence election campaigns. Baptiste said the NaMo App does not share all the data that it has access to on users’ phones with Clever Tap, but only information gathered at the time of registration. It means though the app continues to hold access to photographs, location, microphone, camera, identity, contacts, etc., it only shares information like the mobile operating system, telecom carrier, email, gender, name and photograph used for app registration. In his response, Malviya said the app “provides a platform for millions of his fans and party cadre to connect directly with the Prime Minister”. Calling it “one of its kind”, he said the app “enables unprecedented engagement and interactivity”, and is “way different” from apps of other parties and their leaders, which are “one-way” flow. He mentioned various “path-breaking engagement activities”, including the exam warrior module, of the app. Regarding Baptiste’s claims, Malviya said the user was only sharing his or her own data. “This is not a security breach. The person does not have access to any data apart from his own data,” he said. What the rest ask for PMO India: Set wallpaper MyGov: Read/receive SMS Amazon India app: Connect/disconnect from WiFi, install shortcuts,read/receive SMS PayTM: Connect/disconnect from WiFi, install shortcuts, read sync settings, toggle sync on & off, run at startup, read calendar events/confidential information, add/modify calendar events and send emails to guests without user knowledge, read/receive/send SMS Indian Express News App: Control vibration, run at startup Delhi Police App: Modify your contacts, access extra location provider commands, access approx. location (network-based), read call log, reroute outgoing calls, Android permission: write_SMS, run at startup etc Common user cases: photo sharing, QR/barcode scan, social media; phone caller social network; maps and navigation; location-based services like cab booking, local delivery. Audio assistant, voice recorder, games, device tracking and identification, caller, read SMS (OTP autofill), financial tracker, choosing between WiFi/cellular for big downloads/uploads, Media watching, flashlight (taking photos) II. http://www.wionews.com/india-news/user-details-on-namo-app-sold-to-private-companies-french-security-researcher-36994 User details on NaMo app given to American companies: French security researcher Representative image. Photograph: (Others) WION Web Team New Delhi, Delhi, India Mar 25, 2018, 06.40 PM (IST) Congress president Rahul Gandhi stepped up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accusing the BJP leader of passing on the data of people who sign up for his official NaMo app to American companies. He also attacked the mainstream media for burying the ''critical story''. Rahul Gandhi ✔ @RahulGandhi 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. Ps. Thanks mainstream media, you're doing a great job of burying this critical story, as always. http://www.jantakareporter.com/india/data-theft-allegations-reaches-pm-modis-doorstep-french-vigilante-hackers-stunning-revelation/177957/ … 10:54 AM - Mar 25, 2018 Data theft allegations reaches PM Modi’s doorstep, French vigilante hacker’s stunning revelation A French vigilante hacker has made a stunning revelation accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having compromised the personal data of millions of Indians, who had downloaded his personal mobile... jantakareporter.com 21.4K 14.8K people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy Rahul Gandhi tweeted, ''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. Ps. Thanks mainstream media, you're doing a great job of burying this critical story, as always.'' The Gandhi scion's latest salvo at PM comes amid allegations of Narendra Modi app, the personal mobile application of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, sharing private information of users to a third-party US company Clever Tap without their consent, French security researcher Elliot Alderson has claimed. Alderson shared a series of tweets claiming that when users create profile on Narendra Modi Android app, their device information, as well as personal data, is sent to a third-party domain called in.wzrkt.com., which apparently belongs to the US company. View image on TwitterView image on Twitter Elliot Alderson @fs0c131y When you create a profile in the official @narendramodi #Android app, all your device info (OS, network type, Carrier …) and personal data (email, photo, gender, name, …) are send without your consent to a third-party domain called http://in.wzrkt.com . 1:04 AM - Mar 24, 2018 5,237 6,492 people are talking about this -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
