Digital Advocacy Group Raises Concerns as CoWIN Outage Blocks Millions from Accessing Vaccination Certificates
Since early August 2025, the platform has been non-functional.
The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) has raised alarm over the month-long outage of India’s CoWIN platform, which has left millions unable to access COVID-19 vaccination certificates.
CoWIN, launched in January 2021, became the backbone of India’s vaccination drive—tracking over two billion doses and issuing digital certificates. Since early August 2025, however, the platform has been non-functional, with users reporting persistent errors across CoWIN, DigiLocker, Umang, and even WhatsApp helpdesks.
“This outage isn’t minor—it denies access to a vital public record,” IFF warned, highlighting the impact on students applying abroad, workers changing jobs, older citizens needing healthcare, and anyone requiring proof of vaccination for essential services.
In a letter to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the digital rights body demanded immediate restoration, interim alternatives, and greater accountability.
The foundation noted that CoWIN has long struggled with technical and structural issues. Past server crashes, data breaches involving Aadhaar and vaccine details, and digital exclusion in rural areas had already undermined trust in the system. Despite repeated government assurances, IFF said, systemic failures continue.
“Access to CoWIN isn’t just convenience—it’s a right,” IFF said, citing court rulings that digital delivery of essential services must remain uninterrupted. A prolonged outage, it argued, risks violating fundamental rights by blocking access to travel, education, employment, and healthcare.
IFF’s recommendations include immediate restoration of the portal with a public status page, interim certificate access through primary and community health centers or verified hospital letters, and a transparent, independent audit to identify root causes.
“Digital public services like CoWIN are critical infrastructure,” IFF stressed. “Outages erode trust and risk inequitable access. Vaccine records must remain reliably accessible to all.”
Comments ()