This story is from May 22, 2020

Sprinklr doesn't have access to Covid-19 data, Kerala HC told

State government has contended before the high court that US-based company, Sprinklr, does not have access to data collected from Covid-19 patients and suspects.
Sprinklr doesn't have access to Covid-19 data, Kerala HC told
Picture for representational purpose only.
KOCHI: State government has contended before the high court that US-based company, Sprinklr, does not have access to data collected from Covid-19 patients and suspects.
In a statement filed in response to petitions challenging the deal with Sprinklr, the state government said that Sprinklr's access is limited and no data is being shared.
The statement filed by the government pointed out that several measures have been taken to ensure data security.
It then said, "However, it is submitted that none of these safeguards are relevant now as the complete application and data is being managed in the Amazon Web Cloud Server instance of Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT) and no employee of the third respondent (Sprinklr) has any access to any data."
"The only support which the third respondent is providing is for any updation of the application based on the functional requirements suggested by the State, if such occasion arises. Even for the same, it is only limited technical access to install and plug in to the software and there is no access to the data," the statement added.
The government's statement filed before the court also said none of the government institutions in Kerala are presently capable of doing big data analysis, particularly big data analysis with unstructured data, or to offer solutions in the shortest possible time. Undertaking capacity building and enabling government institutions to manage the task would take time and effort, which could not be spared at the time of a pandemic, the court was told.

Stating that right to privacy has not been affected through the Sprinkler deal, government argues that the information will only be used for the collective benefit of the public and not to the prejudice of any individual. The data is not being disclosed to the public at large but to a third party for a limited purpose and time, government said while contending that such action cannot be termed unreasonable interference in a person's right to privacy.
Last month, the high court, after hearing various petitioners in the controversial transfer of Covid-19 patients' data by the Kerala government, while refusing to stay the agreement, gave a number of directions to the state government, saying all safeguards regarding data privacy be maintained and posted the case, which is soon coming up and hence the new affidavit was filed.
The main demand of the opposition (both Congress and BJP) was to stay and cancel the agreement.
Reacting to the fresh development, KPCC president Mullapally Ramachandran said with this it's now clear all what we had raised about this controversial deal, was correct.
"Vijayan should now come clear on this and one fails to understand, why he was so adamant. This was a corrupt deal and we will continue our tirades on this and one doesn't know, for whom was this deal done," said Ramachandran.
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