Overview
India’s Unique Identification Authority (UIDAI) has introduced a new Aadhaar app that lets users share limited personal data, such as age verification, with private‑sector services while promoting offline verification to reduce reliance on the central database.
Key Features of the New Aadhaar App
- Selective data sharing via QR code (e.g., age, name, address).
- Digital visiting‑card mode for networking and meetings.
- Integration with mobile wallets – upcoming support for Google Wallet and potential Apple Wallet.
- Parallel operation with the existing mAadhaar app.
Offline Verification Initiative
UIDAI frames offline verification as a consent‑based alternative to photocopies and screenshots, allowing merchants, hotels, housing societies, and workplaces to confirm identities without querying the central Aadhaar database.
- Monthly Aadhaar‑related app installs jumped from ~2 million (Oct) to ~9 million (Dec).
- Goal: replace physical ID checks with secure, scalable verification.
Privacy and Security Concerns
Critics argue that expanding Aadhaar into everyday transactions heightens risks of data breaches, misuse, and disenfranchisement, especially as India’s data‑protection framework remains incomplete.
- Access Now’s Raman Jit Singh Chima warns the rollout precedes the establishment of the Data Protection Board.
- A 2022 Comptroller and Auditor General report flagged UIDAI’s non‑compliance with several standards.
- Unclear safeguards for data shared via the new app could lead to leaks.
Expert Reactions
Chima and other privacy advocates call for independent review and broader consultation before further scaling Aadhaar. They stress that consent mechanisms must be transparent and enforceable.
Future Outlook
As Aadhaar moves from a backend verification tool to a visible layer of daily life, governments and tech firms worldwide are watching India’s experiment. The balance between convenience and privacy will shape the next phase of digital identity policy.