Should you share Aadhaar number or not? Here's what Govt says in two advisories
The Centre on Sunday clarified that Aadhhar card-holders should use normal prudence in using and sharing their Aadhaar card number after an earlier advisory warned users against sharing photocopy of their Aadhaar cards with any organisation. The earlier advisory was withdrawn.
An advisory issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India, Bengaluru regional office warning people to not share Aadhaar numbers with any organisation triggered a row as the advisory said Aadhaar numbers can be misused. It also said not all organisations are authorised to take and keep Aadhaar cards for establishing the identity of a person. Cinema halls and hotels are not permitted to keep copies of Aadhaar cards, as it is an offence under the Aadhaar Act 2016, it said. On Sunday, the UIDAI issued a clarification withdrawing the earlier statement and said Aadhaar card-holders should exercise normal prudence in using and sharing their Aadhaar numbers. Also Read: Aadhaar photocopy warning from UIDAI sparks row. Then a clarification
Here is what the Aadhaar row boils down to
1. The ministry of electronics and IT on Sunday said the previous advisory was issued by the Bengaluru Regional Office of the UIDAI.
2. The context of the warning was an attempt to misuse a photoshopped Aadhaar card. But as the advisory triggered a row over the security of Aadhaar numbers, the ministry withdrew the press release "in view of the possibility of misinterpretation".
3. The ministry said Aadhaar card-holders are only advised to exercise normal prudence in using and sharing their Aadhaar numbers.
4. Aadhaar Identity Authentication ecosystem has provided adequate features for protecting and safeguarding the identity and privacy of the Aadhaar holder, the ministry said.
5. However, the UIDAI website provides the option of downloading a marked Aadhaar card in the interest of safeguarding privacy. In a masked Aadhaar card only the last 4 digits of the 16-digit Aadhaar number get displayed. Users who do not want to share their Aadhaar number can download a masked Aadhaar card.
6. According to Aadhaar Act 2016, an entity may be allowed to perform authentication if the authority (UIDAI) is satisfied that the requesting entity is compliant with the standards of privacy and security.
In its latest advisory, the authority said Aadhaar card-holders should exercise normal prudence in using and sharing their UIDAI Aadhaar numbers as the system has adequate features to protect the identity and privacy of the Aadhaar card-holders.
