Explained: The flip-flop on Aadhaar safety and the panic it caused

To share or not to share became the hot topic on Sunday after the government withdrew its previously released press note , urging citizens not to share photocopies of Aadhaar cards. The initial press release by the Press Information Bureau on Friday triggered alarm on social media as screengrabs of the press release and news articles went viral, with the issue among the top 10 trending topics in India on Twitter on Sunday. What exactly went down? What did the press releases state and why did it cause widespread panic. Let’s take a look. Government’s Aadhaar advisory On 27 May, the regional office of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in Bengaluru had put out an advisory, stating that citizens should share their Aadhaar details only with entities that have a “user licence” from UIDAI. The release read: “Unlicensed private entities like hotels or film halls are not permitted to collect or keep copies of Aadhaar cards. It is an offence under the Aadhaar Act 2016. If a private entity demands to see your Aadhaar card, or seeks a photocopy of your Aadhaar card, please verify that they have a valid User License from the UIDAI.” The advisory added that citizens shouldn’t share photocopy of one’s Aadhaar with any organisations because it can be misused. Instead it asked people to use the masked Aadhaar alternative, which displays only the last four digits of one’s Aadhaar number. The advisory set Twitter on fire, with many users sharing instances of how they had used their Aadhaar in numerous instances.

"Are you an unlicensed private entity ?
Can a simple common man ask this, when he or she is being asked to show Aadhaar"

One should DAMN well ask if the entity demanding aadhaar is entitled to do so.

Most aadhaar demands are ILLEGAL, and there are pretty serious consequences. https://t.co/t5WHdoEuVF

— Bharat Varma (@BharatVarma3) May 30, 2022

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Government’s U-turn Amid the panic and confusion, the government on Sunday issued a new advisory, withdrawing its Friday’s press note. The UIDAI withdrew the earlier release “in view of the possibility of the misinterpretation.”

#Aadhaar holders are advised to exercise normal prudence in using and sharing their Aadhaar numbers.
In view of possibility of misinterpretation the press release issued earlier stands withdrawn with immediate effect.https://t.co/ChmbVs8EjJ@GoI_MeitY @PIB_India

— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) May 29, 2022

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the parent body of the UIDAI, said in the new press release: “The release advised the people to not to share photocopy of their Aadhaar with any organisation because it can be misused. Alternatively, a masked Aadhaar which displays only the last four digits of Aadhaar number, can be used. However, in view of the possibility of the misinterpretation of the Press Release, the same stands withdrawn with immediate effect.” The government’s reversal also made news on Twitter, with many questioning what was the truth and questioned the safety of using Aadhaar. What’s masked Aadhaar? The government’s press release issue also led to many asking what the masked Aadhaar was as mentioned by them in both press releases. For those who don’t know, the masked Aadhaar allows the card holder to protect their personal information by masking the last four digits in their Aadhaar number. This means that the Aadhaar number becomes invisible to strangers and prevents one’s personal details from being misused. For those who want the masked Aadhar, it can be downloaded from the UIDAI website. Steps to follow for masked Aadhaar 1. Go to https://myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/ 2. Enter your Aadhaar card number 3. Select the option ‘Do you want a masked Aadhaar’ 4. Select download and get a copy of the Aadhaar card with only the last four digits of the Aadhaar number. Can Aadhaar be misused? There have been many concerns about the misuse of Aadhaar. In 2018, when countless people were questioning how safe Aadhaar was, UIDAI’s former chief and then TRAI chairman RS Sharma had shared his Aadhaar number on Twitter, challenging a user to show a “concrete example” of how the number could be used to “harm” him. It has then on multiple occasions publicly stated that Aadhar details, without biometric information, couldn’t be used to impersonate a person. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.