Mobile service customers to provide alternative KYC document if they want Aadhaar data deleted: COAI

Mobile service customers who want their Aadhaar data removed from the telecom comapnies' records would have to give alternative verification documents, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said on Thursday.

The industry body also directed the telecom department to not disconnect services of customers during the change in the documentation process.

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"Telecom players had a meeting with the Department of Telecom and they have been clarified that customers willing to get their Aadhaar details deleted from telecom operator data base should be allowed to do so against valid identity and address proof," COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews said as reported by news agency PTI.

Telecom operators such as Reliance Jio, Idea, Airtel, Vodafone are all members of the COAI.  COAI said that Aadhaar will remain a valid document for verification as will other documents authorised by the government such as PAN card, driving licence, voter’s ID card, among others.

However, while getting a new connection, no authentication of subscriber details by UIDAI will be done now. 

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The government had on Thursday said there is no threat of discontinuation of mobile numbers issued using Aadhaar, following the Supreme Court ruling that barred the use of the national biometric ID by private companies. Debunking reports that over 50 crore, or half of the mobile SIMs in the country, face deactivation, the Department of Telecommunication and UIDAI in a joint statement said, mobile phone users at their choice can seek a change of their Aadhaar-based authentication done in the past with alternate proof of identity without any disconnection of the number.