Turkey's coronavirus tracking app is facing fire from privacy advocates for adding a feature allowing users to report social distancing rule violations, with the option to send photos.
Critics say the function breaches civil liberties and promotes a "culture of denunciation".
Turkish officials counter that the measure is needed to save lives and does not violate laws protecting individual rights.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's communications director, Fahrettin Altun, said the health ministry's entire pandemic tracking system -- which includes the app -- made "us even stronger against the virus".
In April, the health ministry launched a phone app called "Hayat Eve Sigar" (Life Fits Into Home) that helps people monitor confirmed virus cases, showing the risk levels and infection rates in specific neighbourhoods.
It also offers information about nearby hospitals, pharmacies, supermarkets and public transport stops.
One of its latest features, added this week, allows users to report rule violations in places such as restaurants and cafes, with an ultimate goal of helping control the spread of the virus, which has claimed over 6,000 lives in Turkey.
"Help control the virus by reporting rule violations that you encounter," a message on the app says above an "add photo" function and a line for the corresponding street address.
- 'Culture of denunciation' -
Critics see the new feature as a threat that exposes Turks to government agencies without their consent and makes people feel unsafe.
"This system lacks credibility," said Faruk Cayir, a lawyer and president of Turkey's Alternative Informatics Association on cyber rights and online censorship.
He said the information stored in the app was being shared with other government agencies, including the interior ministry and even private ..
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