- UIDAI’s Virtual ID is going to allow over 119 crore Aadhaar holders for generating a 16-digit temporary number.
- From 1 June, 2018 it will be compulsory for all agencies that undertake authentication to accept the Virtual ID from their users.
- An official said, “It will not be possible to locate an individual’s Aadhaar number by using the Virtual ID,”
- NEW DELHI: to address the privacy concern, the UIDAI on Wednesday introduced a new concept of ‘Virtual ID’ which Aadhaar-card holder can generate from its website and give for various purposes, also including SIM verification, instead of sharing the actual 12-digit biometric ID.
This will give the users the option of not sharing their Aadhaarnumber at the time of authentication. The number can be shared with a bank, insurance company or telecom service provider instead of the 12-digit Aadhaar number. Users may visit the UIDAI website to generate their virtual ID which will be valid for a defined period of time, or till the user decides to change it. For instance, if you want a new mobile connection, the telco will get only your name, photo and address. For a passport, though, all data may be shared.
The other safety feature introduced are related to limited sharing of information, again aimed at preventing possible misuse and data theft. Instead of the current system where the five details — name, date of birth, photo, address and mobile number — are shared with the service provider at the time of authentication, the new feature will allow only need based sharing of data.
“Aadhaar number holder can use Virtual ID in lieu of Aadhaar number whenever authentication or KYC services are performed. Authentication may be performed using the Virtual ID in a manner similar to using Aadhaar number,” a UIDAI circular said.
“This is a unique innovation to strengthen privacy and security of 119 crore Aadhaar holders. This is unparalleled in the world,” UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey said.
