Safeguard your ‘Aadhaar’: UIDAI alerts people while sharing personal information on internet

New Delhi, March 19: Today everyone is being recognized with ‘Aadhaar’ that it has become our identity and safeguarding it is our responsibility. Do not fall prey to the forged documents while sharing personal information like Aadhaar number, regarding Aadhaar number, bank account number, PAN number etc on digital platform. 

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has 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, UIDAI alerted saying that the issue had "nothing to do with the security of Aadhaar and its database".

However such publication does not threaten or impact the security of Aadhaar and its database which remains "safe and secure".

"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.

"People share their personal information, including Aadhaar on the Internet, to some or other service provider or vendor to get the services and when they put their details on the Internet they should take due precautions as required in any digital activities," Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) said in a statement.

Asserting on the robustness of the Aadhaar identity system, UIDAI 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". Aadhaar remains safe and secure and there has not been a single breach from its biometric database during that last eight years of its existence, it 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 one's identity.

By simply knowing someone’s Aadhaar, no one can impersonate & harm him because Aadhaar alone is not sufficient, it requires biometrics to authenticate one’s Identity, UIDAI said.

While Aadhaar has to be shared with others, being personal information like mobile number, bank account number, PAN card, passport, family details, etc, Aadhaar too should be protected to ensure the privacy of a person, UIDAI said.

"If anybody unauthorizedly publishes someone's personal information such as Aadhaar card, mobile number, bank account, photograph, etc., he can be sued for civil damages by the person whose privacy right is infringed," UIDAI statement noted.