UIDAI to launch new app to allow for QR-code-based offline verification

UIDAI will launch a mobile app for consent-based Aadhaar verification via QR codes, ending the use of photocopies and allowing users to share only required details under the DPDP Act

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will soon launch a new mobile-based application to enable smooth verification of the identity of users through quick-response (QR) codes, the agency’s chief executive officer Bhuvnesh Kumar said.

 

The new app, currently in the beta-testing phase, will phase out the use of photocopies and other digital copies of Aadhaar used till date for offline verification of an Aadhaar card holder’s identity, UIDAI officials said during a webinar to explain the features.

 

“With this new app, the verifier and the user will be able to exchange details but only with the consent of the user. The user can choose what details to share depending on the verification requirements. Aadhaar will share only those details with the offline verification agency,” one of the officials said.

 

For example, an Aadhaar-number holder can choose to share only their age with the verifier in case they want to use it for logging on to social media or to enter a venue that allows only people above the age of 18, another official said.

 

“So, with the new DPDP (Digital Personal Data Protection) Act regime in place, a user can verify themselves through this app. And all that they need to verify is whether they are above 18 or not,” the official quoted above said.