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+<!-- pubdate: 20200529 -->
+
+# Aarogya Sethu client app released as Free Software
+
+FSF India, appreciates the Indian government's effort to publish the
+source code of the Aarogya Setu application as [Free Software][fs]. It
+is the first step towards achieving "transparency, privacy, and
+security" as mentioned by CEO of NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant as the core
+values on which the application was designed. However, we stress that,
+this is only a first step and we hope that the government will follow
+up with some more actions that further strengthen the commitment made
+towards transparency, privacy and security.
+
+[fs]: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
+
+Some of the specific technical steps that would strengthen the
+commitment towards transparency include:
+
+1. Publishing the source code of server side code so that the solution
+is completely usable for any one interested in using it.
+
+2. Ensuring systems for reproducibility of builds so that application
+ may be verified and security is enhanced.
+
+Lack of good legal frameworks for personal data protection and use of
+server side data implies that source code release will not help us
+address the questions raised around privacy and security of the data.
+Without such legal framework, there shall be no transparency either.
+While release of source code is definitely a positive first step, it
+is not sufficient in addressing concerns around an application like
+Aarogya Setu.
+
+FSF India, hopes that release of Aarogya Setu application as free
+software will lead to more software being published under a [free
+software license][fs-l]. We urge the national government and the state
+government agencies to follow this lead and publish software they
+develop under a Free Software license. As the leading national agency
+for software development we thank National Informatics Center and
+encourage them to release more software as Free Software.
+
+[fs-l]: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/
+
+We also urge the government to take necessary steps to build a strong
+personal data protection system in the country with our citizen's
+interest and privacy at the centre stage.