Journalism of Courage
Even as the UIDAI on Saturday asked people to take “due precautions” while sharing their personal information like Aadhaar numbers while making online transactions, civic activists said the district collectorate, local civic bodies and the cantonment boards should raise awareness among residents regarding probable misuse of Aadhaar numbers. “The Aadhaar card linking issue has already become controversial with the Supreme Court indefinitely extending the mandatory linking directives of the central government till March 31. And, now, with UDIA stating that people should be cautious while sharing their Aadhaar on the internet, it is the duty of civic bodies, cantonments and the district collectorate to raise awareness through social media, newspapers, seminars and by putting up boards and sending SMS to people to be cautious while sharing their Aadhaar details,” said activist Maruti Bhapkar.
Advocate Sachin Godambe echoed him, adding that people were freely sharing their Aadhaar numbers on the internet. “For instance, these days, there is rush for investing in mutual funds. People are opening accounts through internets. Sometimes they open their accounts but after a few days, they don’t operate the account. In such cases, the companies or people related to them have the luxury of using a client’s Aadhaar information. Lack of awareness could prove dangerous for such citizens,” he said.
“People share their personal information, including Aadhaar details, on the internet to service providers or vendors… when they put their details on the internet, they should take due precautions as required in any digital activities,” stated the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in a press release. While Aadhaar numbers have to be shared with others, personal information such as mobile numbers, bank account numbers, PAN card details, passport, family details, etc, too, should be protected to ensure privacy of a person, UIDAI had stated.
“If anybody unauthorisedly publishes someone’s personal information like Aadhaar card, mobile number, bank account, photograph, etc., he can be sued for civil damages by the person whose privacy right is infringed,” the statement had noted. However, it stated, such publication does not threaten or impact security of Aadhaar and its database, which remains “safe an secure”. The statement by UIDAI comes in the backdrop of reports, claiming that information about Aadhaar may be available from third party websites, and that a Google search may lead to Aadhaar details of several people.
