A press release issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) warned the general public not to share photocopies of their Aadhaar card with any organisation as it can be misused. Instead, the press release suggested a masked Aadhaar which only shows the last four digits of the number be used, a copy of which can be downloaded from the official website. It added that only those organisations which have a user license from the UIDAI can use Aadhaar to establish a person’s identity, and “unlicensed private entities like hotels or film halls are not permitted to collect or keep copies of Aadhaar card.” It also asked people not to use a public computer to download e-Aadhaar, and if one has to, to ensure that copies are deleted. The press release also said that unlicensed private entities like hotels or film halls collecting or keeping copies of Aadhaar card is an offence under the Aadhaar Act 2016.
The press release created a furore online, with several people questioning why it was put out now, when Aadhaar is widely demanded by hotels and several other private organisations. There have been numerous instances of Aadhaar-based frauds, Aadhaar data being sold, linking of Aadhaar to essential services leading to denial of ration; it has been linked to Voter IDs in some places, and to PAN Cards.
Hours after it went viral online, the UIDAI withdrew the press release on Sunday, May 29. “It is learnt that it was issued by them in the context of an attempt to misuse a photoshopped Aadhaar card. The release advised the people to not to share photocopy of their Aadhaar with any organisation because it can be misused. Alternatively, a masked Aadhaar which displays only the last 4 digits of Aadhaar number, can be used,” it said, stating that the same was being withdrawn “in view of the possibility of the misinterpretation of the Press Release.”
“UIDAI issued Aadhaar card holders are only advised to exercise normal prudence in using and sharing their UIDAI Aadhaar numbers. Aadhaar Identity Authentication ecosystem has provided adequate features for protecting and safeguarding the identity and privacy of the Aadhaar holder,” the release claimed.
Questions regarding the security surrounding Aadhaar have been raised by experts several times.
Former UIDAI Director-General RS Sharma in 2018 had publicly tweeted his Aadhaar number and challenged people to show “one concrete example” of what harm could be done to him. Following this, Twitter users said they found his personal number, home address, PAN, date of birth, photographs, and even chat threads. However, he claimed that most of these details were not a secret.