Govt to launch Beep App for secure communication in three months

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology has directed the launch of the Beep application within three months to ensure secure communication among government employees, reported 24NewsHD TV channel Wednesday.

The decision was made during a meeting chaired by Syed Aminul Haq.

Currently, official messaging is conducted via WhatsApp, which the CEO of the National IT Board (NITB) flagged as a security risk. The Beep app will serve as a safer alternative for official communication. The app, developed two years ago has already received praise from Indian media.

During the meeting, committee member Ahmed Atiq raised concerns about the absence of a formal policy for official communication, noting the potential for sensitive document leaks. The Additional Secretary of IT acknowledged that government officials often bypass government-provided emails, stressing the need for stricter adherence to official channels.

The Beep app will first be rolled out to civil servants, with the Ministry of IT and NITB tasked with its deployment. Ahmed Atiq suggested that government employees should declare their personal email and social media accounts to further enhance security.

This move aims to replace WhatsApp with the Beep app for official communication, ensuring that sensitive information is kept secure and within the official framework.