UIDAI speaks on Aadhaar helpline issue, condemns vested interests for spreading rumours

Rumours and scaremongering against Aadhaar is still continued. The recent case was the appearance of Aadhaar helpline number into several mobile phone users which blew into a full controversy, receiving heavy public outrage.

Initially, the Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) received the backlash which was accused of transferring Aadhaar helpline number into people’s phones without their consent.

However, the matter was clarified later when Google took the responsibility of inadvertently coding Aadhaar helpline number into Android phones.

The UIDAI on Sunday spoke on the issue and said that it condemns the vested interests who tried to misuse Google's "inadvertent" act as an opportunity to spread rumours and go around fear-mongering against Aadhaar.

It clarified that it has not asked any agency whatsoever to include its helpline number in the mobile phones.

It also emphasised that a number stored in the contact list cannot steal data from a mobile phone.

Last week, a twitter handle who goes under the pseudonym Elliot Alderson tweeted, "Hi @UIDAI, Many people, with different provider, with and without an #Aadhaar card, with and without the mAadhaar app installed, noticed that your phone number is predefined in their contact list by default and so without their knowledge. Can you explain why?"

The tweet scared many mobile phone users who found the UIDAI old helpline number in their contact even though they did not add it.

A few days ago, another Aadhaar-related controversy erupted when the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman RS Sharma shared his Aadhaar number and challenged everyone to show that how mere knowledge of the number can be misused to harm him.

The challenge backfired as people revealed his personal details such as date of birth, PAN number, phone number and mail id.

Over the last one year, there have also been reports of personal information being allegedly compromised with increasing use of biometric identifier Aadhaar in an array of services, and the Supreme Court has reserved its judgement on a clutch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar Act.

The development was first shared by Deccan Chronicle.