Aadhaar Privacy: You Will Soon Be Able to Check Linked Mobile Numbers

The security of Aadhar has been subject to question over the past few months with the voter listing of citizens being publically available, exposing their Aadhaar details, and many reported incidents of this data beingness misused by many retailers carrying out KYC of mobile phone users. And while the Mozilla believes that Aadhaar'south privacy is a mess, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) seems to exist relatively calmer in its arroyo of dealing with the people'south fear of identity theft.

UIDAI has informed all telecom operators to listing out the unique ID numbers linked with mobile numbers. In line with this, the potency has also directed telcos to provide a facility for users to check the mobile numbers linked to their Aadhaar cards, every bit per a PTI report. This has been implement to prevent illicit use of Aadhaar number including opening new mobile accounts with fake Aadhaar cards and verification of mobile numbers using someone else'southward Aadhaar.

Operators Will Soon Let You Check Mobile Numbers Linked to Your Aadhar

The torso has also warned operators to make sure that Aadhaar details of users are non being used for any kind of "fraudulent" activities. The education compels telecom operators to provide an SMS-based facility as early on equally March 15. Other facilities such as a web portal or a mobile app might follow shortly.

A recent incident which has drawn UIDAI's attending to the matter, besides complaints about shopkeeper misusing Aadhaar details, was the unauthorized KYC performed by Airtel Payments Bank in the process of Airtel users' Aadhar verification. Without their data, Airtel had created 2.3 meg accounts and transfer LPG subsidies into these accounts. Every bit a result, UIDAI had barred Airtel Payments Bank from performing any KYC, which has prevented the company from adding any new client.

Furthermore, the Supreme Court recently ruled that users must verify link their mobile numbers to their Aadhaar IDs before March 31 and while at that place have been several petitions that challenge this mandatory linking process, there has been no change in the plan and then far.