COVID Vaccine Recipients’ Personal Data Reportedly Leaked Online, Raising Security Concerns

New Delhi: In a concerning incident, personal data of COVID-19 vaccine recipients in India has allegedly been leaked online.

Reports suggest that a bot on a popular chat platform allowed free access to this data without the required OTP (one-time password) from the CoWIN platform.

The leaked information reportedly includes details of politicians and journalists as well. The bot was apparently blocked, and government officials are investigating the incident.

According to a report by Malayala Manorama, personal details uploaded on the CoWIN portal for vaccine access were accessible on Telegram through an automated bot. Screenshots of the bot in action were shared on Twitter, and the newspaper independently verified the claims.

There are several Opposition leaders which include:

1. Rajya Sabha MP & TMC Leader Derek O'Brien

2. Former Union Minister P. Chidambaram

3. Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh & K.C. Venugopal@derekobrienmp @PChidambaram_IN @Jairam_Ramesh @kcvenugopalmp

(2/7) pic.twitter.com/JnD5EKhPBO

— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) June 12, 2023

The bot was operated by users entering a mobile number, and in response, it provided personal information linked to that number, including name, gender, date of birth, vaccination centre, and official ID details such as Aadhaar or passport number.

Previously, accessing this information required an OTP, but the bot reportedly allowed access with just the phone number.

Notably, the CoWIN portal was claimed to have robust security measures and no previous breaches. However, screenshots shared on Twitter by Trinamool Congress National Spokesperson Saket Gokhale showed personal details of politicians and journalists obtained through the Telegram bot.

Government officials are said to be investigating the reports of this data leak. While initial findings suggest no evidence of unauthorized access, there are discrepancies in the leaked data screenshots. The possibility of hacking is being examined following social media reports.