Experts flag data privacy concerns after IAF, Uber sign pact

New Delhi: After an agreement between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Uber, security experts raised concerns about potential data exposure, location tracking risks, and sharing and access of sensitive information by third-party apps.

The Indian Air Force has signed an agreement with American app-based cab aggregator Uber to provide hassle-free cab services for Air Force officials and their families. After the agreement, the security experts and former Army officials raised concerns about potential data exposure, location tracking risks, and sharing and access of sensitive information by third-party apps.

In a post on X, retired Army official, Lt General KGS Dhillion, advised the Air Force leadership to reconsider the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Uber. "One needs to seriously reconsider this. You are geo-tagging practically every Air Force personnel, making them vulnerable to live tracking," the former Chinar Core Commander said in a post on X. Another retired Army official and tech entrepreneur, Pavithran Rajan, also shared similar views and said that without data localisation, indigenous Information and Communications Technology (ICT), strong data privacy laws are impossible.

"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy are the noise before defeat. I am not happy that the military brass is being ridiculed and belittled publicly. That said, now the important thing is to debate the can of worms that have been opened about India not having a sovereign cyberspace and the necessary laws to protect India," Rajan said. "It’s a wake-up call as a military defence of India without data localisation and indigenous ICT, strong privacy laws is impossible," he added. The Indian Air Force on October 18 signed an agreement with Uber to provide "reliable, convenient, and safe transportation services for IAF personnel, veterans and families".