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Indo-Asian News ServiceAug 06, 2018 15:12:59 IST
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Sunday slammed people with "vested interests" for spreading "rumours" against the Aadhaar, and reiterated that there was no harm in storing its helpline number on mobile phones.
It even suggested that citizens update its contact number. "The UIDAI condemns the vested interests who tried to misuse Google's inadvertent act as an opportunity to spread rumours and go around fearmongering against Aadhaar... it must be clearly understood that by merely having a helpline number, that too an outdated one, on a smartphone, no harm can be caused," a UIDAI statement said.
It said that Google has already clarified that UIDAI's old contact number 18003001947 was added by it "inadvertently" along with police and fire number in 2014 and has since been continuing through sync mechanism.
Representational image. tech2/Kshitij Pujari
"Google has expressed regret for the same and has also assured that it will fix this inadvertent error in their next release and stated that the users may, if they wish, delete the number. Rumours about Aadhaar database being breached are completely false and baseless and are rejected with all condemnation that it deserves. The UIDAI assures that the Aadhaar data remains fully safe and secure," the statement said.
The UIDAI had earlier clarified that it had not asked any agency to include its helpline number in the mobile phones.
"Rumours are being floated on social media such as Twitter and WhatsApp that this number 'mysteriously' popped up on mobile devices and will be harmful and that Aadhaar data has been 'breached etc, and therefore the helpline number should be deleted immediately'. This is totally false propaganda and is nothing but scare-mongering against Aadhaar by vested interests," it said.
"Just with the help of a helpline number in a mobile's contact list the data stored on the mobile phone cannot be stolen. Therefore, there should be no panic to delete the number as no harm will be caused. Rather people may, if they so wish, update it with UIDAI's new helpline number 1947," it added.
Advising people to stay away from such "rumours and malicious campaign by vested interests", the UIDAI said they should "not waste their and others' time by forwarding or circulating such "false and baseless rumours on social media".
"One must know that Aadhaar has caused tremendous benefits to our country and helped save more Rs 90,000 crore by preventing leaks and siphoning of benefits and subsidies meant for the poor. It has also helped curb tax evasion, money launderers, benami accounts and shell companies," it said.
Here is the Twitter thread that UIDAI released its statement on:
#PressStatement
In view of the attempts by few Aadhaar opponents to spread rumours and scare mongering against Aadhaar in the backdrop of appearance of an old Aadhaar helpline number in mobile phones... 1/n— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 5, 2018
...it may be noted that the Google has clarified that UIDAI’s old contact number 18003001947 was added by it “inadvertently” along with police/fire number 112 in 2014 and has since been continuing through sync mechanism. It has also expressed its regret for the same. 2/n
— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 5, 2018
Google has also assured that it will fix this inadvertent error in their next release and stated that the users may, if they wish, can delete the number. 3/n
— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 5, 2018
UIDAI had earlier clarified and emphasised that it had not asked any agency whatsoever to include its helpline number in the mobile phones. 4/n
— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 5, 2018
UIDAI expects that Google, a large digital platform provider, will look into this which caused confusion in the minds of people against India’s credible identity system and will exercise due care so that such things are not repeated in future. 5/n
— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 5, 2018
However, UIDAI condemns the vested interests who tried to misuse Google’s “inadvertent” act as an opportunity to spread rumours and go around fear-mongering against Aadhaar. 6/n
— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 5, 2018
Rumours are being floated in some social media such as Twitter and WhatsApp that this number has “mysteriously popped up on mobile devices and will be harmful, Aadhaar data has been breached, etc., and therefore, the helpline number should be deleted immediately”. 7/n
— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 5, 2018
This is totally false propaganda and is nothing but scare-mongering against Aadhaar by vested interests trying to exploit Google’s act to spread misinformation about Aadhaar by scaring people. 8/n
— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 5, 2018
It must be clearly understood that by merely having a helpline number that, too, an outdated one, on a mobile/smartphone, no harm can be caused. Just by a helpline number in a mobile’s contact list the data stored on the mobile phone cannot be stolen. 9/n
— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 5, 2018
Therefore, there should be no panic to delete the number as no harm will be caused. Rather people may, if they so wish, update it with UIDAI’s new helpline number 1947. 10/n
— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 5, 2018
Further, rumours about Aadhaar database being breached are completely false and baseless and are rejected with all condemnation that it deserves. UIDAI assures that Aadhaar data remains fully safe and secure. 11/n
— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 5, 2018
Therefore, people should stay away from such rumours and malicious campaign by vested interests. They should also not waste their time and time of their near and dear ones by forwarding or circulating such false and baseless rumours on their WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook etc. 12/n
— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 5, 2018
One must know that Aadhaar has caused tremendous benefits to our country and helped saved more Rs 90,000 Crore by preventing leakage and siphoning of benefits and subsidies meant for poor. 13/n
— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 5, 2018
It has empowered 121 Crore people of India with a credible and secure identity which can be freely used anywhere, anytime and online. People are able to get their rightful entitlement directly into their bank accounts without any middlemen. 14/n
— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 5, 2018
It has also helped curb tax evasion, money launderers, benami accounts and shell companies. 15/15
#####— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 5, 2018
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