The Indian government has recently announced a new feature for its contact tracing application, Aarogya Setu. The feature, known as ‘Open API Service’, is designed to address the fear and risk of Covid-19 infections and facilitate gradual return to normalcy for individuals, businesses, and the economy.
Understanding the Open API Service
The Open API Service of Aarogya Setu allows organizations to make informed decisions about employee presence in offices and the potential for remote working arrangements. This feature can be accessed by registered organizations and business entities within India that employ more than 50 people. The primary aim is to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission without significantly affecting the functionality of a specific entity.
Benefits for Business Entities and Organizations
The primary benefit that organizations can derive from this Open API Service is the ability to query the Aarogya Setu Application in real-time. This allows them to assess the health status of their employees or any other Aarogya Setu User. Moreover, it facilitates an integrated approach to work-from-home features and implementation.
Addressing Privacy Concerns
An important aspect of the Open API Service is its commitment to ensuring user privacy. The service will only provide the Aarogya Setu status and name of the Aarogya Setu User, and this information will only be shared with the user’s explicit consent. No other personal data will be provided through the API, helping to maintain strict privacy parameters.
What is API?
API, an acronym for ‘Application Programming Interface’, is a set of functions and procedures that allow programmers to access and build upon the data and functionality of an existing application. Essentially, it enables software developers to interact with pre-existing applications.
Open Source API
An open source API, or public API, is made publicly available to software developers. These APIs are published on the internet, allowing network-accessible services to be universally accessible to consumers, especially beneficial for businesses with limited capital.
Difference Between APIs and Web Services
While every web service is technically an API, not all APIs qualify as web services due to their distinct characteristics. For example, while APIs can be both offline and online, web services must use a network. Similarly, APIs can use any protocol, while web services usually follow specific ones. Web services are also less prone to hacking than APIs, as they often provide specific data to selected partners.
About Aarogya Setu
Aarogya Setu, launched in April 2020, is a contact tracing app developed by the National Informatics Centre under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology. Since its launch, the app has introduced various novel features like e-pass integration and QR Code scanning.
Concerns Related to Aarogya Setu
Despite its benefits, there are concerns associated with Aarogya Setu’s usage. For instance, the government’s mandate for employees to install this app can be seen as violation of the right to privacy. Additionally, the lack of data protection laws in India raises potential concerns about data misuse. Furthermore, vulnerable groups such as migrant workers may not have access to smartphones and internet, rendering the app inaccessible to them.
Open-sourcing the App’s Code
In May 2020, the government made the code for Aarogya Setu’s Android and iOS versions open-source. This allows developers to examine the app’s functionality, detect system bugs, and report them to the creator, enhancing its overall performance.