Smartphone users in India were rather shocked when the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) toll-free helpline number was automatically set into their phone contact list. UIDAI has replaced the earlier helpline number — 1800-300-1947 — with the new number — 1947.
Smartphone users in India were rather shocked when the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) toll-free helpline number was automatically set into their phone contact list. UIDAI has replaced the earlier helpline number — 1800-300-1947 — with the new number — 1947.
French security expert Elliot Alderson took to Twitter to ask UIDAI, “Many people, with different providers, with and without an #Aadhaar card, with and without the mAadhaar app installed, noticed that your phone number is predefined in their contact list by default without their knowledge. Can you explain why?”
After this news took over the internet, several people in the country quickly checked their phones’ contact lists and were rather surprised to see that the UIDAI number was pre-saved on their device. Many people took to Twitter and asked how the number was saved on their phone:
This news comes a few days after TRAI chief's Aadhaar dare created a flutter, and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) asked people not to share publicly their 12-digit identifier on Internet and social media, or pose such challenges to others.
UIDAI had said that people should "refrain from publicly putting their Aadhaar numbers on Internet and social media and posing challenges to others". UIDAI also warned that doing Aadhaar authentication through somebody else's Aadhaar number or using someone else's Aadhaar number for any purpose may amount to impersonation and thereby a criminal offence under the Aadhaar Act and Indian Penal Code. Any person indulging in such acts or abetting or inciting others to do so makes themselves liable for prosecution and penal action under the law. Therefore people should refrain from such acts, it added.
UIDAI said the 12 digit Aadhaar number "is personally sensitive information" just like bank account number, passport number, PAN number, which "should be strictly shared only on a need basis for a legitimate use for establishing identity and for legitimate transactions".
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