"It is understood that it was provided by them in the context of an effort to misuse a photoshopped Aadhaar card," says the Ministry of Electronics and IT in an explanation of the UIDAI advice published in May 29, 2022.
The public was urged not to give a photocopy of their Aadhaar to any institution since it may be exploited, according to the announcement. A masked Aadhaar, which only shows the last four digits of the Aadhaar number, can also be utilized.
However, the Press Release has been withdrawn with immediate effect due to the danger of misunderstanding. Holders of UIDAI-issued Aadhaar cards are only recommended to use and share their UIDAI Aadhaar numbers with caution.
The Aadhaar Identity Authentication ecosystem offers adequate features for preserving and safeguarding the Aadhaar holder's identity and privacy.
The Indian government has issued an order prohibiting anyone from sharing their Aadhaar card photocopy with anybody, even organizations. The rule essentially emphasizes that sharing or distributing photocopies of your Aadhaar card may be misused by others. "Do not distribute photocopies of your Aadhaar with any organizations since it might be exploited," the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) stated in a news release.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) also advises you to use caution when using your Aadhaar card for verification or paperwork. People should also avoid downloading Aadhaar copies from public computers like those found in cyber cafes, according to the announcement. If you still wish to utilize this approach to obtain a copy of your Aadhaar, make sure to erase any e-copies from the system, including the recycling bin.
In addition to warning people against misusing Aadhaar copies, the MeitY directive also cautions companies involved in the usage of Aadhaar for various reasons. It seeks to ensure that organizations with the necessary licenses use Aadhaar to identify people and that they have obtained a User License from the UIDAI.
Other enterprises, including hotels and movie theatres, are prohibited from obtaining and storing copies of the Aadhaar card. It is a violation under the Aadhaar Act 2016 if they engage in such acts.
How To Securely Share Your Aadhar Card:
People in the country should utilize the disguised Aadhaar card, which only shows the last four digits of your Aadhaar number, according to the press release. The UIDAI has also mentioned a safe method of confirming any Aadhaar number.
You can check the official status of your Aadhaar number at https://myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/verifyAadhaar. In offline mode, the verification stage is also possible. All you have to do is use the QR code scanner in the mAadhaar mobile app, which is accessible for both Android and iPhone users, to scan the QR code on the e-Aadhaar card.
