Govt advises against sharing Aadhar, is a ‘great danger’ to citizen privacy on its way?

New Delhi: It seems that the central government has suddenly become conscious and isout of its deep slumber over the Aadhar card. An advisory has been issued by the Central Government to the citizens of the country not to share the photocopy of their Aadhar card with anyone as it can be misused. In the advisory issued by the Government of India on May 27, it has been said that people should use masked Aadhaar, in which only the last four numbers are visible. Just imagine, till now the government had made Aadhaar mandatory and Aadhaar was necessary for every service. Despite the order of the Supreme Court, from the registration of any scheme of the government to the booking in the hotel, photocopies of Aadhaar were being given.

Suddenly now the government is feeling that the photocopy of Aadhaar should not be shared as it can be misused, a point on which civil defense and privacy activists had earlier warned. Biometrics of every citizen are taken along with Aadhaar. That’s why everyone was apprehensive that it might be misused. But the government made it mandatory to use it in every small and big work. As a result, till now almost every basic information has reached many places and any person can download eAadhaar through his information. Aadhaar has been linked with bank accounts and PAN card and it has been made mandatory for filing income tax returns and now preparations are on to link it with voter card also.

The government had encouraged people to download e-Aadhaar and is now saying not to download e-Aadhaar from cafes or public computers. Think, how many people in the country have computer or laptop and internet facility in their home that they will download eAadhaar at home or any place with secured privacy! In fact, this warning of the government is a sign of great danger. The government must have got information about the rampant misuse only then it has issued this warning.