Weapon of Mass Surveillance: How Upgraded Illegal Betting Apps are Posing Threat to National Security

Betting apps have become a political hot potato in the current election season after Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel’s name has surfaced in a related scam. Central agencies including Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) have conducted a technical analysis of these apps and found that the latest upgrades have more alarming features that can be used for mass surveillance and erasing user data.

According to a top official, these apps having the latest Android and iOS updates are stealing and transmitting user data and monitoring real-time activity surreptitiously to servers located outside of India. These apps now want ‘Google-like’ permissions so that they can record physical movement of the user and transfer “backup” data to their servers. The analysis said the upgrades have serious repercussions in the light of current national security and tense border situation.

The analysis also said without giving all the permissions of your mobile phone, the user will not be able to use the app. The permissions allow betting app companies to erase the data, start the camera and record a video and track the movement of the user.

It has also found that any server-side security abuse has the potential to turn these applications into an espionage tool as the app has access to critical data of people and remote access of such data potentially could be used even for mass surveillance.

The app could be used by adversaries like Pakistan or China to initiate a propaganda affecting public order, security of state and sovereignty and integrity of country. It is suspected that the revenue generated through the apps is siphoned off from India through Hawala, crypto currencies or other black market transactions thus posing a threat to the financial security of India.

This poses serious risk in terms of sharing of sensitive financial and personal information of Indian citizens, their surveillance, scope for money laundering, tax evasion and possible use of the money for illegal and anti-national activities.

The IB, RAW and other agencies shared their inputs to the Ministry of Home Affairs, after which, a detailed technical analysis on such apps was carried out.

In the past few months, the proposal to block 138 online gaming, gambling and betting mobile apps was sent to the concerned departments.