Centre bans public sharing of individual's Aadhaar details

The agencies in possession of the Aadhaar number of an individual will not be allowed to publish or post the information publicly.

Under the Aadhaar Act, agencies will have to ensure the security and confidentiality of the 12-digit resident identification number.

As per the rules, the core biometric information, collected by the authority, cannot be shared with anyone for any reason. Any violation of the Aadhaar Act would constitute an offence and is punishable under the Act.

The agencies, collecting the Aadhaar number, would also have to specify whether submission of the number or proof of Aadhaar is mandatory or voluntary.

The regulations also provide for obtaining consent of the Aadhaar number holder for collection, storage and use of the same for specified purposes.