Rahul Gandhi flags gaps in surveillance and data security, questions government’s transparency

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused the Centre of failing to address serious concerns surrounding surveillance and data security. He claimed that Chinese-made CCTV cameras and previously banned apps continue to operate despite official restrictions.

In a post on X, Gandhi said that while the government had recently prohibited the public use of Chinese CCTV cameras, such devices were still installed inside government buildings.

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He also alleged that banned Chinese apps were reappearing under new identities and that foreign artificial intelligence platforms were processing sensitive Indian data without proper oversight.

“The government recently banned the public use of Chinese CCTV cameras. But Chinese cameras are still installed inside government buildings,” he wrote, adding that authorities had “nothing to say” about the broader implications.

The Leader of the Opposition said he had raised these concerns in Parliament with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, seeking clarity on the origin and security certification of surveillance equipment, as well as the role of foreign AI platforms in handling government data.

“I asked which countries our cameras came from, how many are security-certified, and which foreign AI platforms are processing government data,” Gandhi stated. “The ministry’s reply contained no numbers, no answers—not even the name of a single platform.”

He also referred to earlier government acknowledgments that around one million Chinese cameras in use posed potential data transfer risks, arguing that even after several years, there remains little transparency on whether current systems are secure.

Calling it a “deliberate attempt to keep India in the dark,” Gandhi accused the government of concealing facts about foreign surveillance and warned that such opacity could put citizens’ safety at risk.

The government has previously defended its technology policies, citing national security concerns and efforts to promote domestic alternatives. Gandhi’s remarks are expected to further intensify the political debate over digital sovereignty, surveillance infrastructure, and data protection in India.