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CM reiterates concern over Aadhaar and privacy
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has again iterated her grave apprehensions over infringement of citizens’ privacy by the leakage of information through the unique identification system, better known as Aadhaar. In a Facebook post this evening, she has said: “From the very beginning, I have been voicing my serious concern over violation of privacy due to AADHAAR and urging to ensure a foolproof mechanism to ensure security of data.”
Referring to very recent reports in the media that personal data of persons enrolled in the system could be bought for as less as Rs 500, she said, “A section of the Press has reported that AADHAAR cards are now easily available from fictitious agencies upon payment of small amounts. If this is true, then this is a huge infringement of individual privacy and data security.”
In fact, several national channels have taken up the issue and portrayed the dangers that the system could have, even highlighting how the leaked data could be misused by a third party. One channel also conducted a “sting operation”, showing how a government employee was negotiating with a prospective buyer of data.
In such circumstances, the Chief Minister has urged the public to be careful and not link Aadhaar information with service providers until a totally secure system is developed. “I would like to request all citizens of the country to be more alert and cautious to prevent data theft and violation of privacy,” she said in her post.
A case on this issue is pending in the country’s apex court, with hearings scheduled for later this month. The Central Government has also deferred mandatory linking of Aadhaar numbers with services twice because of this.
