After hacker threat, Congress deletes its official mobile app

NEW DELHI: The Indian National Congress’ (INC) official mobile app ‘With INC’ seems to have disappeared from the Google Play Store, after anonymous hacker who goes by the moniker Elliot Alderson yesterday alleged that the app was sending users’ personal data to Singapore, reports The Times of India.

However, the Congress party's social media head tweeted saying the party app "has been defunct for a while now".

"The URL for membership on the INC (Indian National Congress) app has been defunct for a while now. Our membership is through the INC website. How difficult is that to understand," tweeted the Congress party's social media head Divya Spandana.

On the app being deleted by the Congress, Alderson (you can read more about him in our interview) speaking to ToI, said, “I think they got scared after my first tweet saying that I will look into their app.”

The vigilante hacker on Sunday had put out a message on micro-blogging site Twitter, saying he will publish “interesting details” about the Congress mobile app he’s found, yesterday. On Monday, Alderson alleged that when a user signs up for the Congress app, her/ his personal data which is not “encrypted” is routed to the app’s servers in Singapore.

Monday’s development comes in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s app -- the NaMo app-- running into trouble for asking its users for a strings of permissions including camera, photographs, location, contacts, and microphone.

Interestingly, it was Alderson, who had pointed out on Saturday that the NaMo app was sharing user data with a third party in the US without the users’ consent.

 

After hacker threat, Congress deletes its official mobile app

NEW DELHI: The Indian National Congress (INC) official mobile app With INC seems to have disappeared from the Google Play Store, after anonymous hacker who goes by the moniker Elliot Alderson yesterday alleged that the app was sending users personal data to Singapore, reports The Times of India. However, the Congress partys social media head tweeted saying the party app has been defunct for a while now. The URL for membership on the INC (Indian National Congress) app has been defunct for a while now. Our membership is through the INC website. How difficult is that to understand, tweeted the Congress partys social media head Divya Spandana. On the app being deleted by the Congress, Alderson (you can read more about him in our interview) speaking to ToI, said, I think they got scared after my first tweet saying that I will look into their app. The vigilante hacker on Sunday had put out a message on micro-blogging site Twitter, saying he will publish interesting details about the Congress mobile app hes found, yesterday. On Monday, Alderson alleged that when a user signs up for the Congress app, her/ his personal data which is not encrypted is routed to the apps servers in Singapore. Mondays development comes in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modis app -- the NaMo app-- running into trouble for asking its users for a strings of permissions including camera, photographs, location, contacts, and microphone. Interestingly, it was Alderson, who had pointed out on Saturday that the NaMo app was sharing user data with a third party in the US without the users consent.