UIDAI advises people to take precautions while sharing Aadhaar details online

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Saturday advised people to take proper precautions while sharing their personal information including Aadhaar to any service provider or vendor. 

The UIDAI in a series of tweets confirmed that the personal details of the citizens are safe and secure. The statutory authority asked the people to not get confused with some news on social media platforms.

The clarification comes after social media was flooded with rumours that Aadhaar PDF has been made available on the internet. The rumour had created panic among the people who believed someone could breach their details by searching Mera Aadhaar, Meri Pehchan on Google.

Here are the things which UIDAI mentioned about Aadhaar’s security on Twitter.

''People should not get carried away or confused with any news appearing on any social media platform on Aadhaar PDF being available on Google search'', as per the UIDAI statement.

UIDAI has advised people not to get carried away or confused with some news appearing in social and other media on Aadhaar pdf being available on Google search on Mera Aadhaar, Meri Pehchan. 1/8

— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) March 17, 2018

''Such news are planned to spread misinformation on India's robust identity system – Aadhaar. They are intentional and irresponsible acts of some unscrupulous elements'', UIADI mentioned on Twitter.

UIDAI said that such news are intended to spread misinformation on India's robust identity system - Aadhaar and are intentional and irresponsible acts of some unscrupulous elements. 2/8

— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) March 17, 2018

These rumours are far from the reality as none of the Aadhar cards shown are taken from UIDAI database, as per the statement.

These 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.
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— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) March 17, 2018

People should take precautions when they put their details on internet in any digital activity.

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.
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— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) March 17, 2018

Publishing or posting the Aadhaar cards will have no bearing on UIDAI or the security of Aadhaar.

Publications or posting of Aadhaar cards by some unscrupulous people have absolutely no bearing on UIDAI and not the least on Aadhaar security. Aadhaar as an identity document by its very nature needs to be shared openly with others as and when required and asked for. 5/8

— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) March 17, 2018

Even if any person knows someone’s Aadhaar, he/she can’t impersonate the person. Aadhar alone is not sufficient, as it requires biometrics to authenticate the person’s identity.

Aadhaar just like any other id, therefore, is never to be treated as a confidential document. 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. 6/8

— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) March 17, 2018

Even though Aadhaar has to be shared with others, it should be protected so as to ensure privacy of the person, said a UIDAI statement.

Although Aadhaar has to be shared with others, it being personal information like mobile number, bank account number, PAN card, passport, family details, etc, should be ordinarily protected to ensure privacy of the person.
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— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) March 17, 2018

One can sue a person for civil damages if he/she unauthorisedly publishes someone’s Aadhaar card, bank account or mobile number.

If anybody unauthorisedly 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. 7.5/8

— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) March 17, 2018

''Aadhaar is safe and secure and there has been no breach from the biometric database during the last eight years of its existence'', the UIDAI statement read.

However, in no way such publication threatens or impacts security of Aadhaar and its database. 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. 8/8

— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) March 17, 2018