Precautions must while sharing Aadhaar online

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Saturday asked people to take “due precautions” while sharing their personal information such as Aadhaar on the internet for availing any service. Playing down reports of Aadhaar being allegedly available on Google search query of “mera Aadhaar, meri pehchan”, UIDAI claimed the issue had “nothing to do with the security of Aadhaar and its database”.

The UIDAI on Saturday asked people to take “due precautions” while sharing their personal information such as Aadhaar on the internet for availing any service.

Playing down reports of Aadhaar pdf being allegedly available through Google search query of Mera Aadhaar, Meri Pehchan, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) claimed that the issue had “nothing to do with the security of Aadhaar and its database”. “People share their personal information, including Aadhaar on internet, to some or other service provider or vendor to get the services and when they put their details on internet they should take due precautions as required in any digital activities,” UIDAI said in a statement.

Asserting the robustness of the Aadhaar identity system, the nodal body, which issues the 12 digit biometric identifier, said that “publication or posting of Aadhaar cards by some unscrupulous people have absolutely no bearing on UIDAI and not the least on Aadhaar security”.

“These (reports) are far from the reality and have got nothing to do with the security of Aadhaar and its database. As none of the Aadhaar cards shown are taken from UIDAI database,” the statement said. Emphasising that just like any other identity document, Aadhaar too is not a confidential document, UIDAI argued that mere knowledge about someone’s Aadhaar card is not sufficient to impersonate that person as biometric authentication is needed to establish ones identity.