In 2009, I became extremely concerned with the concept of Unique Identity for various reasons. Connected with many like minded highly educated people who were all concerned.
On 18th May 2010, I started this Blog to capture anything and everything I came across on the topic. This blog with its million hits is a testament to my concerns about loss of privacy and fear of the ID being misused and possible Criminal activities it could lead to.
In 2017 the Supreme Court of India gave its verdict after one of the longest hearings on any issue. I did my bit and appealed to the Supreme Court Judges too through an On Line Petition.
In 2019 the Aadhaar Legislation has been revised and passed by the two houses of the Parliament of India making it Legal. I am no Legal Eagle so my Opinion carries no weight except with people opposed to the very concept.
In 2019, this Blog now just captures on a Daily Basis list of Articles Published on anything to do with Aadhaar as obtained from Daily Google Searches and nothing more. Cannot burn the midnight candle any longer.
"In Matters of Conscience, the Law of Majority has no place"- Mahatma Gandhi
Ram Krishnaswamy
Sydney, Australia.

Aadhaar

The UIDAI has taken two successive governments in India and the entire world for a ride. It identifies nothing. It is not unique. The entire UID data has never been verified and audited. The UID cannot be used for governance, financial databases or anything. It’s use is the biggest threat to national security since independence. – Anupam Saraph 2018

When I opposed Aadhaar in 2010 , I was called a BJP stooge. In 2016 I am still opposing Aadhaar for the same reasons and I am told I am a Congress die hard. No one wants to see why I oppose Aadhaar as it is too difficult. Plus Aadhaar is FREE so why not get one ? Ram Krishnaswamy

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.-Mahatma Gandhi

In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.Mahatma Gandhi

“The invasion of privacy is of no consequence because privacy is not a fundamental right and has no meaning under Article 21. The right to privacy is not a guaranteed under the constitution, because privacy is not a fundamental right.” Article 21 of the Indian constitution refers to the right to life and liberty -Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi

“There is merit in the complaints. You are unwittingly allowing snooping, harassment and commercial exploitation. The information about an individual obtained by the UIDAI while issuing an Aadhaar card shall not be used for any other purpose, save as above, except as may be directed by a court for the purpose of criminal investigation.”-A three judge bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar said in an interim order.

Legal scholar Usha Ramanathan describes UID as an inverse of sunshine laws like the Right to Information. While the RTI makes the state transparent to the citizen, the UID does the inverse: it makes the citizen transparent to the state, she says.

Good idea gone bad
I have written earlier that UID/Aadhaar was a poorly designed, unreliable and expensive solution to the really good idea of providing national identification for over a billion Indians. My petition contends that UID in its current form violates the right to privacy of a citizen, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. This is because sensitive biometric and demographic information of citizens are with enrolment agencies, registrars and sub-registrars who have no legal liability for any misuse of this data. This petition has opened up the larger discussion on privacy rights for Indians. The current Article 21 interpretation by the Supreme Court was done decades ago, before the advent of internet and today’s technology and all the new privacy challenges that have arisen as a consequence.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP Rajya Sabha

“What is Aadhaar? There is enormous confusion. That Aadhaar will identify people who are entitled for subsidy. No. Aadhaar doesn’t determine who is eligible and who isn’t,” Jairam Ramesh

But Aadhaar has been mythologised during the previous government by its creators into some technology super force that will transform governance in a miraculous manner. I even read an article recently that compared Aadhaar to some revolution and quoted a 1930s historian, Will Durant.Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Rajya Sabha MP

“I know you will say that it is not mandatory. But, it is compulsorily mandatorily voluntary,” Jairam Ramesh, Rajya Saba April 2017.

August 24, 2017: The nine-judge Constitution Bench rules that right to privacy is “intrinsic to life and liberty”and is inherently protected under the various fundamental freedoms enshrined under Part III of the Indian Constitution

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the World; indeed it's the only thing that ever has"

“Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.” -Edward Snowden

In the Supreme Court, Meenakshi Arora, one of the senior counsel in the case, compared it to living under a general, perpetual, nation-wide criminal warrant.

Had never thought of it that way, but living in the Aadhaar universe is like living in a prison. All of us are treated like criminals with barely any rights or recourse and gatekeepers have absolute power on you and your life.

Announcing the launch of the # BreakAadhaarChainscampaign, culminating with events in multiple cities on 12th Jan. This is the last opportunity to make your voice heard before the Supreme Court hearings start on 17th Jan 2018. In collaboration with @no2uidand@rozi_roti.

UIDAI's security seems to be founded on four time tested pillars of security idiocy

1) Denial

2) Issue fiats and point finger

3) Shoot messenger

4) Bury head in sand.

God Save India

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

13037 - Aadhaar data a Google search away, warns French hacker; UIDAI dismisses data breach risks - Business Today

Aadhaar data a Google search away, warns French hacker; UIDAI dismisses data breach risks

 BusinessToday.In   New Delhi     Last Updated: March 19, 2018  | 19:51 IST

A French hacker has come up with a revelation that the Aadhaar documents can be accessed online by using a Google 'dork' search. This comes four days after the same hacker, Robert Baptiste, who goes by the name Elliot Alderson on Twitter, posted a video on how one can bypass the password protection of the Aadhaar Android app in just 1 minute.
Robert flagged a major flaw in the Aadhaar system, and said the biometric details related to Aadhaar accounts can be accessed on Google. Multiple news reports also suggested that by just typing 'Mera Aadhaar, Meri Pehchan', which is UIDAI's tagline, on Google, the search opens several PDF files containing Aadhaar information like name, parents name, address, Aadhaar number, picture, and even date of birth. The only information that was not available online was biometric details. However, the UIDAI has junked the hacker's claim and said that by simply knowing someone's Aadhaar, no one can impersonate and harm anybody. The UIDAI said one needs biometric details to authenticate identity.

Reports suggested some websites were openly revealing Aadhaar information on Google. These portals include incois.gov.in (official government website of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services), the-aiff.com (official website of All India Football Federation), and Starcards India, a private payment gateway service provider. A quick online search found that the Incois has taken down the Aadhaar details, but the AIFF didn't bother to remove those details online. One can easily get access to the details of several Aadhaar accounts on the website.
The French hacker has said it is high time the UIDAI increases protection around the Aadhaar system. "Hi @UIDAI and @ceo_uidai, it's time for you to force your partners to handle #Aadhaar cards in a secure way. If you make a Google search query with one of this line you will find thousand of #Aadhaar card. @UIDAI: It's time to admit that this is not OK and to work on a fix," he tweeted.
View image on Twitter
Elliot Alderson
@fs0c131y

Hi @UIDAI and @ceo_uidai, it's time for you to force your partners to handle #Aadhaar cards in a secure way.
If you make a Google search query with one of this line you will find thousand of #Aadhaar card.@UIDAI: It's time to admit that this is not OK and to work on a fix.
10:56 PM - Mar 16, 2018
Twitter Ads info and privacy

The UIDAI has advised people not to get carried away or confused with some news appearing in social and other media on Aadhaar PDF being available on Google search on 'Mera Aadhaar, Meri Pehchan'.  The authority has said such news is intended to "spread misinformation on India's robust identity system - Aadhaar - and are intentional and irresponsible acts of some unscrupulous elements".
The authority, through a tweet, has suggested that people sharing personal information, including Aadhaar, on internet to some or other service provider or vendor should take due precautions. "Aadhaar just like any other id, therefore, is never to be treated as a confidential document. By simply knowing someone's Aadhaar, no one can impersonate and harm him because Aadhaar alone is not sufficient, it requires biometrics to authenticate one's Identity," the UIDAI said.
17 Mar

Aadhaar
✔
@UIDAI
Replying to @UIDAI
Publications or posting  of Aadhaar cards by some unscrupulous people have absolutely no bearing on UIDAI and not the least on Aadhaar security. Aadhaar as an identity document by its very nature needs to be shared openly with others as and when required and asked for. 5/8

Aadhaar
✔
@UIDAI

Aadhaar just like any other id, therefore, is never to be treated as a confidential document. By simply knowing someone’s Aadhaar, no one can  impersonate & harm him because Aadhaar alone is not sufficient, it requires biometrics to authenticate one’s Identity. 6/8
1:52 PM - Mar 17, 2018
Twitter Ads info and privacy

The UIDAI's ambitious Aadhaar project is the world's largest biometric database with whopping 111 crore people of the total 125 crore Indians already connected with the identity scheme. While there's no doubt the Aadhaar system makes it easy for the government to rollout benefits that can reach the masses effectively, can the government guaranty the safety of this behemoth database?


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