The Unique Identification Authority of India has flagged several websites and mobile applications for offering unauthorised Aadhaar services, reported PTI. The UIDAI has forwarded a list of such platforms to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team and Google India so that action can be taken against them.
UIDAI chief Ajay Bhushan Pandey had said that some websites and mobile applications were luring people to share their personal information under the pretext of getting them Aadhaar cards and other related services.
As many as 12 such platforms were blocked in February alone. The UIDAI has suggested steps against 26 more platforms. “It was found that some websites and mobile applications were providing unauthorised services such as downloading online Aadhaar letters, providing the status of Aadhaar generation and printing Aadhaar letters on polyvinyl chloride card to residents,” said PP Chaudhary, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology.
The Union minister informed the Lok Sabha that the Department of Telecommunication has blocked many of the unauthorised websites, and removed all such mobile applications from the Google Play Store.
The Aadhaar Act, 2016, lists rules that need to be followed for any demographic information related to the scheme to be shared. Any violation of these rules is punishable under Section 38 and Chapter VII of the Aadhaar Act.
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