ME News Bureau: Mumbai: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has denied a media report stating that Aadhaar cards can be purchased on WhatsApp at a minimal rate.
“Rs 500, 10 minutes, and you have access to billion Aadhaar details is a case of misreporting,” stated the authority. It assures that there has not been any breach of data and that the data is completely safe and protected.
An investigative report in a well-known newspaper revealed that anonymous sellers on WhatsApp are offering Aadhaar details of more than a billion Indians in exchange of a paltry amount of Rs 500.
The paper also reported the availability of a software at only Rs 300, which can print the Aadhaar card of anybody by simply entering the Aadhaar number.
The report mentioned the racket could have been started by over 300,000 Village Level Operators (VLEs) who were earlier managing the making of Aadhaar cards across India and lost their vocations when they were replaced by banks and post offices.
More than 100,000 VLEs saw an opportunity to make easy money, by getting illegal access to UIDAI data and offered Aadhar card details and card printing services at a nominal rate.
The UIDAI has linked Aadhaar to biometric information of people, and this could mean a huge breach of national security if found to be true. Moreover, the Union Government's unlimited access to citizens' details has already been a matter in intense debate.
A Supreme Court judgement in August 2017, had declared that 'privacy' is a vital right, while addressing petitions that questioned the legality of Aadhaar, on the grounds of fundamental right to life and liberty. In November 2017, a Right to Information reply by the UIDAI exposed that Aadhaar information of many citizens were already on public domain on about 200 central and state government websites.
