Popular YouTuber highlights “Massive Data Breach” in Sri Lanka’s new VFS Visa system
Source : newswire
Popular Youtuber Will Davis, known as ‘TrekTrendy’, has highlighted a massive data breach by global visa processing service, VFS Global which was involved in the recent controversy related to the visa issuance process at the Katunayake Airport.
Will Davis, a luxury travel reviewer with nearly 1 million subscribers on YouTube, shared on social media that despite having his visa approved a long time ago, he has been continuously receiving details of other applicants from VFS Global.
“Some of you may remember the Sri Lanka visa saga a few weeks ago. Well whilst mine has long been approved, each day I’ve been getting other tourists visas emailed to me complete with full names, address and passport info. How is this a thing?! I’ve reached out in an attempt to try and make these stop but what a massive data breach,” his statement read.
VFS Global came under fire for its visa issuance process and charges after a video widely circulated on social media showed an agitated Sri Lankan national claiming that Indian companies who had taken over visa processing at the Bandaranaike International Airport were causing delays and levying extra processing fees.
Responding to the allegations, the Indian High Commission refuted reports of Indian companies taking over visa issuance at the Katunayake Airport, stating, “Any reference to India in this context is unwarranted.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles, under whose purview the visa process falls, also acknowledged in Parliament this week that the decision to grant the process to global visa processing service, VFS Global was taken following Cabinet approval and was not processed through Parliament.
The Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) has also summoned the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security and the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration today for an inquiry into the controversial VFS Global visa issuance deal, which has faced criticism from many. (Newswire)