“…UIDAI, has announced that it has shut down 12 websites and Google Play store mobile apps for providing unauthorized Aadhaar services…”
As Aadhaar, India’s national biometric ID program, continues to extend its reach into everyday life in the country, some are taking advantage and abusing the system – and the government is cracking down.
The Unique Identification Authority of India, or UIDAI, has announced that it has shut down 12 websites and Google Play store mobile apps for providing unauthorized Aadhaar services, which involved the illegal collection and access of citizens’ Aadhaar data. The UIDAI says it has also issued orders to shut down a further 26 websites and apps for similar violations.
“We are taking stern action against all such illegal sites and aiding such websites/agencies or persons in any manner may amount to a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment”, declared UIDAI CEO Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey in a statement.
The UIDAI’s stridency in attacking fraudulent Aadhaar services may in part reflect the sensitivity of Aadhaar data. The program links citizens’ biometric data to a range of government and civil services, and is about to become a key element of everyday economic activity with the emergence of Aadhaar Pay.
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February 6, 2017 – by Alex Perala
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