A series of messages posted by Internet Freedom Foundation in India (@internetfreedom@mas.to) is noteworthy:
We’ve heard the news. We’ve seen the tweets. We’re on the case.
#DigiYatra has raised concerns re privacy & surveillance since day 1 – but now, is also being thrust upon airline passengers through coercive and deceptive means. 1/7
https://internetfreedom.in/reject-digiyatra/
Last week, we wrote to @MoCA_GoI, @NITIAayog, @AAI_Official, Digi Yatra Foundation & 5 regional airports, making our case for why Digi Yatra needs to be completely withdrawn. Not our first time, too: IFF has raised similar concerns to the Ministry before. https://internetfreedom.in/tag/digiyatra/ 2/7
ICYMI: DigiYatra is a *voluntary* air travel service which uses facial recognition tech to authenticate passengers and “expedite” airport entry, security, check-in & boarding. How it processes, stores & shares passenger biometric data is shrouded in opacity & contradictions. 3/7
With a weak privacy policy, in the absence of anchoring law, and before the DPDP Act comes into effect, Digi Yatra holds the sensitive personal data of millions of willing AND unwilling passengers without any robust legal safeguards. 4/7
Wish to exercise your right to information to get some answers? You can’t. The operator, Digi Yatra Foundation, is a private company outside the purview of the RTI Act, even with 26% govt shareholding. Its CERT-In vulnerability audits are also exempted from the Act. 5/7
Digi Yatra is not even effective in “expediting” airport processes, owing to the large inaccuracy rates of FRTs. The use of FRTs further creates grounds for overbroad surveillance affecting privacy and autonomy, especially when passengers are being forced into face scans. 6/7
IFF is working towards an extensive response to Digi Yatra and the invasive and unlawful manner of its recent roll-out – which includes a Know-Your-Rights leaflet, exciting merch, an empowering joint representation from concerned citizens, and more. Stay tuned! 7/7
Would be very helpful to say this is in India only for international readers who will never be impacted by this.
I thought everyone already knew they are a wonderful digital civil liberties group in India, but I’ve added the info now to the post. Thanks for the suggestion.