Due to a breach of the personal information of Pakistani citizens, Google has taken down 14 applications from its app store at the request of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).
It has been confirmed by NADRA that the Alphabet-owned US tech company was contacted by NADRA regarding this issue. Dawn has reviewed documents viewed by Dawn that indicate that the authority brought the subject to the attention of Scott Beaumont, the president of Google’s Asia Pacific region, Hiang Choong, the region’s legal head, and Stephanie Davis, the company’s vice president of customer solutions.
“Breach of Personal Data of Residents and their Privacy by Application Providers on Google Play Store” was the subject of the letter, which was addressed to Google and emphasized the importance and urgency of the matter. It stated that:
This is a concern about the illegal sale and/or sharing of personal information pertaining to Pakistani citizens, which is generated by a number of applications which are hosted on your platform and available on the Google Play Store.
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NADRA states that the apps recently removed were using its name and products in an illegal or deceptive manner to trick users into believing that the apps were in some way affiliated with, authorized by, or operated by them.
In the end, the apps gained an undeserved amount of credibility for the services they offered as a result. As a result, they were able to obtain personal information from Pakistani residents, which was in violation of Google’s policy on impersonation, as it prohibits users from posing as someone else without permission.
The letter added:
In order to stop such illegal activities as sharing and selling NADRA’s proprietary, sensitive information, which could have serious security implications for Pakistan as well as a breach of privacy, all such apps must be taken down from Google Play Store immediately. It is important in the future to prohibit publishing, promoting such apps that use NADRA’s name or log in order to protect the privacy of residents.
