New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday over allegations of data sharing from his official app without users’ consent, a charge the BJP trashed.
Gandhi also accused the media of “burying” the story.
His attack on the prime minister was based on a media report in which a French vigilante hacker has purportedly alleged that data was stolen from his official app — NaMo App — without consent of the users.
“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,” Gandhi said on Twitter.
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.https://t.co/IZYzkuH1ZH
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 25, 2018
In the tweet, he also attached a news story titled – “Data theft allegations reaches PM Modi’s doorstep, French vigilante hacker’s stunning revelation“.
The BJP reacted on Twitter saying, it did not expect “any better” from the Congress chief. It also said the data is used only for analytics using third party service, similar to Google Analytics.
Also Read: After NaMo App Exposé, PM’s Website Quietly Changes Privacy Policy
“We also take this opportunity to encourage Rahul Gandhi to download NaMo App to keep himself appraised of the good things happening in India,” the @BJP4India said in a tweet. It put out several tweets on the matter.
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.
— BJP (@BJP4India) March 25, 2018
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.
— BJP (@BJP4India) March 25, 2018
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! pic.twitter.com/Wnan0IQFIV
— BJP (@BJP4India) March 25, 2018
Narendra Modi App provides a platform for millions of his fans and party cadre to connect directly with the Prime Minister. It is a ‘one of its kind’ App which enables unprecedented engagement and interactivity with PM.
— BJP (@BJP4India) March 25, 2018
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.
— BJP (@BJP4India) March 25, 2018
Contrary to Rahul’s lies, fact is that data is being used for only analytics using third party service, similar to Google Analytics. Analytics on the user data is done for offering users the most contextual content.
— BJP (@BJP4India) March 25, 2018
This ensures that a user gets the best experience by showing content in his language & interests. A person who looks up agri-related info will get agri related content easily. A person from TN will get updates in Tamil and get an update about an important initiative about TN.
— BJP (@BJP4India) March 25, 2018
In his tweet, Gandhi also attacked the media saying on Twitter, “Ps. Thanks mainstream media, you’re doing a great job of burying this critical story, as always.”
Also Read: NaMo App – There’s a Lesson to Learn from the Cambridge Analytica Scandal
The Congress and the BJP have indulged in a slinging match over data theft and the use of services of Cambridge Analytica, accused of harvesting data from Facebook.