UIDAI gets 24 unauthorised Aadhaar websites, mobile apps shut

Cracking down on unauthorised websites and mobile apps providing Aadhaar-related services and charging excessive money from the public, the UIDAI on Friday said it has got 12 websites and 12 mobile applications available on the Google Playstore shut down.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has also directed further 26 more such fraudulent and illegal websites or applications be closed down, an official statement said.

"UIDAI has not authorised the owners of these mobile applications or websites to extend any Aadhaar-related services on its behalf," said UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey.

Warning unauthorised websites and mobile applications providers against illegal use of Aadhaar logo in violation of Aadhaar Act and the Copyright Act, he said: "We are contemplating stern action against them."

"Any Aadhaar-related demographic information can only be shared following the procedures laid down in the Aadhaar Act, 2016. Any such violation is punishable under Section 38 and Chapter VII of the Aadhaar Act that provides punishment for 'Whoever, not being authorised by the Authority, intentionally accesses or secures, downloads, copies or extracts any data from the Central Identities Data Repository or stored in any removable storage medium?'," he added.

Pandey cautioned people to be aware against all such unscrupulous entities that are alluring to provide Aadhaar-related services and asked them to remain vigilant for the protection of their privacy.

"As per Section 70 of the IT Act, the government of India has declared the UIDAI's Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR) facilities, information assets, logistics infrastructure and dependencies installed at UIDAI locations to be critically Protected System," he added.

Aadhaar enrollment has recently crossed 111 crore mark.

Pandey reiterated: "www.uidai.gov.in is the only authorized website of UIDAI. Any other website with Aadhaar in its name and providing Aadhaar related services is not authorized by us and hence, illegal."

--IANS

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