In a survey, only 23 per cent people said that they were "quite confident" that their Aadhaar data could be protected by the UIDIA.
| Posted by Deepali Singh
New Delhi, January 9, 2018 | UPDATED 19:02 IS
Security of Aadhaar data has been a subject of debate ever since the idea was floated under the UPA government. With the latest expose by a national daily showing that with rampant corruption, unauthorised access of Aadhaar data is possible for as less as Rs 500, the fear is increasing again one more time.
In an online survey conducted by social engagement platform LocalCircles, only 23 per cent people said that they were "quite confident" that their Aadhaar data could be protected by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDIA).
The survey received over 15,000 votes, of which, 52 per cent feared that their Aadhaar data might not be safe from unauthorised access by hackers and information sellers.
An overwhelming 91 per cent of respondents said that those accessing Aadhaar data illegally should be punished with five years in jail. Around 77 per cent said that a penalty of Rs 1 crore should also be imposed apart from the jail term for unauthorised access of Aadhaar data.
In a related poll, about 70 per cent found the UIDAI's decision to file case against the journalist who exposed the vulnerability of Aadhaar data was uncalled for.
While the UIDAI is working to plug loopholes in the Aadhaar security systems, majority of people, who took part in the survey, are of the view that access to biometric data should be restricted. About 43 per cent said that access to Aadhaar data should be limited to verification of only name and address for e-KYC where it is mandatory.
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