After Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia unveiled the Bus Monitoring system, Yayra Koku, the Deputy Director of Elections in Charge of IT and a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), embarked on a deep dive into its workings.
His exploration took an unexpected turn when he stumbled upon the revelation that the IP address of the Tap and Go transport service traced back to China, a discovery that left him surprised.
To delve deeper into the matter, Koku sought insights from a friend experienced with a similar CCTV system used by Uber. His findings unveiled that the so-called groundbreaking system was actually a readily available plug-and-play software, contradicting Bawumia’s assertion of Ghanaian innovation.
Dr. Bawumia officially launched the Tap and Go Transport Service in Accra on Monday, February 19, 2024, at the office of Metro Mass Limited. This initiative marks the introduction of the first intra and inter-city public transport service to adopt the unique digital platform.
The Tap and Go Transport Service offers a digital platform for various public transport services, including a digital card preloaded with cash, facilitating payment for transport fares by tapping the card on a fixed machine on a bus or rail. Additionally, it features a virtual card option accessible via the Tap and Go app for those who prefer mobile transactions.
Beyond concerns about the software’s origin, Koku raised questions about Ghana’s decision to commission a system hosted in China, citing potential security implications given China’s track record of mass surveillance and human rights violations.
He emphasized issues of data privacy, highlighting the automatic monitoring of passengers with facial images sent to Chinese servers. This raised doubts about the Data Protection Authority’s scrutiny in overseeing the system’s commissioning.
Koku’s investigation gained momentum as he uncovered the raw IP address of the monitoring software online. This prompted him to delve further into potential privacy and security risks by attempting to access the system and unveil images and live video footage.
When I first saw the picture yesterday, I decided to zoom in to see if I could see the IP address of Bawumia's Bus Monitoring system, which was launched yesterday. Fortunately for me, the cameraman captured the IP address (120.79.58.1:8088/808gps/login.html), allowing me to see.… pic.twitter.com/PUR4rTTvmE
— Yayra Koku (@YayraKoku) February 20, 2024
