NaMo app does not seek blanket access to user's data

 New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official app, NaMo that got caught up in the controversy relating to a series of recently exposed cases of data breach, does not ask for a blanket access to the users' personal data, the government sources said on Sunday.

"Narendra Modi App is a unique app, which unlike most apps, gives access to users in 'guest mode' without even any permission or data. The permissions required are all contextual and cause-specific," sources said, adding, "Each function asks for the specific permission when access is required. The app does not ask for blanket permissions when the app is started."

On Friday, a French security researcher, in a series of tweets, claimed that the Narendra Modi app sends all the device info and personal data including email IDs, photos, gender and names of the users without consent to a third-party domain belonging to an American company.

However, the sources clarified, "The data exposed by the French Twitter user is the data entered by the user on his own device. This is not a security breach. The person does not have access to any data apart from his own data.

"Data is being used for analytics using third party service, similar to Google Analytics. The data in no way is stored or used by the third party services," it further explained.

The Narendra Modi App provides a platform for Prime Minister's follower and party cadre to connect directly with him. Users can create their own profiles, earn points and win special awards for their activity levels. Users can also connect with MPs, MLAs of their constituency and interact with them.

Referring to French security researcher's claim, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi also accused Prime Minister Modi of leaking details of users to US firms through the NaMo app.

"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," Rahul tweeted.