In a rare sign of preventive action, the government through its UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) arm proactively asked Google Play Store to takedown 12 Android applications, to safeguard citizens privacy.
For violating the Aadhaar Act, 2016, the government had the illegal and fraudulent entities shut down. These included 12 websites, 12 smartphone apps and 26 more such "fraudulent and illegal" websites/applications, according to reports.
What was their crime? These websites and apps claimed to provide Aadhaar-related services illegally and without permission, by charging excessive money from the public, for frivolous tasks like downloading Aadhaa r card, relaying Aadhaar generation status, etc to users and thereby getting hold of their sensitive Aadhaar number and enrolment details.
"UIDAI has not authorised the owners of these mobile applications or websites to extend any Aadhaar related services on its behalf", said Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey, CEO, UIDAI.
Dr Ajay Bhushan Pandey, CEO, UIDAI
Mr Pandey further warned against the unauthorised use of Aadhaar logo by the illegal websites and apps, which is again a breach of the Aadhaar Act and the Copyright Act.
He cautioned people to stay vigilant against such dodgy entities that are trying to provide unauthorised Aadhaar related services, because ultima tely it's their privacy that's at stake.
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