KUALA LUMPUR – Individuals travelling to Indonesia have claimed that their personal information has been exposed to strangers, a problem believed to be caused by a glitch in the country’s new e-visa system.
Three Australians who travelled separately to Bali said that they were able to view the personal details of other travellers after scanning a QR code on their visa document.
According to a Daily Mail report, another Australian tourist claimed that they were able to access sensitive data belonging to two tourists from China.
Meanwhile, one Australian woman, Lauren Levin, said details of other travellers appeared on her phone, and when she spoke to Immigration officials in Bali regarding the matter, she was told that everyone was impacted.
Quoting Indonesia’s Immigration Department, the Daily Mail said that authorities are currently trying to resolve the problem despite a heavy influx of travellers in the country’s entry points.
The report added that this data breach comes on the heels of Indonesia’s recent introduction of smart e-gates in several airports.
In June this year, Malaysia expanded its autogate facilities to travellers from 63 countries.
However, following the introduction, the Immigration Department saw criticism from the public due to longer queues.
Netizens complained that waiting periods were shorter when only Malaysians were allowed to use the facilities.
Following complaints, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution announced that the total number of autogates in KLIA would be increased to 80. – October 9, 2024