Arogya Setu App is an Open Source software. What is Open Source software? What benefits does it bring?
Open Source refers to a source which people can modify and share because its design is publicly accessible.
Source code is the part of software that computer programmers can manipulate its working and function.
Programmers who have access to a computer program's source code can improve that program by adding features.
It helps in expanding collaboration amongst the talented youth and citizens through open source would help in building a robust and secure technology solution which will further support the work of frontline health workers in fighting this pandemic together.
India launched Aarogya Setu mobile App to augment the efforts of limiting the spread of Covid-19.
It has an objective of enabling bluetooth based contact tracing and mapping of likely hotspots and dissemination of relevant information about Covid-19.
Recently, the source code of Aarogya Setu Mobile App has been made open source for software developers.
It has been uploaded for the public which will help in identifying any vulnerabilities or code improvement in order to make Aarogya Setu more robust and secure.
Although the app has been resourceful by its users, there were privacy concerns regarding the lack of transparency in the app's code.
To address these concerns, the government has decided to launch the code-set of the app to make it more transparent.
