Kerala govt files affidavit in HC, says COVID-19 database transferred to govt-owned cloud web space

Kochi (Kerala) [India], May 21 : "Database covering COVID-19 patients and those under the disease surveillance was transferred to the government-owned cloud webspace in Amazon Web Services managed and controlled by the Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT) by April 20 itself," the Kerala government has informed the Kerala High Court.
The government filed the affidavit in a case challenging the collection and use of data by US-based firm Sprinklr and stated that the company "Sprinklr had been directed to destroy all residual data, if any, immediately.''
''No data was shared with Sprinklr after it was transferred to the C-DIT cloud space and Sprinklr had no access to this system. In case, any data would need to be shared, a detailed protocol including anonymisation would be followed," reads the affidavit.
"The Government had asked the Director, Kerala State IT Mission (KSITM) and Registrar, C-DIT to ensure that all the data collected and collated got anonymised before being shared with any third party service provider or used with any software for the processing of data," adds the affidavit.
Earlier, the Kerala High Court had directed the state government to anonymise all COVID-19 related data collected and collated so far and allow Sprinklr to access the data only after the anonymisation is completed.
The court also injuncted Sprinklr from committing any act, which will be in breach of confidentiality of data entrusted with them by the state government under an impugned contract.