Expensive program, Potentially Disastrous, with No Upside
Privacy loss is merely the tip of Aadharbu(r)g:
Our companies, their employees, and consumers, are grossly unprepared; and have no clue how crazy this fire can burn, and that they need to even observe any steps to prevent a mishap>
There is no upside of Aadhaar, as Social Security Number has in the United States>>
May God, or perhaps the Courts, help us out of this>>>
CASE I
Just last week, I opened a demat trading account with a well established firm. It was beyond shocking how my personally sensitive data, and I’m not talking about my sexual orientation or my phone number — I mean stuff that can potentially simply ROB me of EVERYTHING, got thrown around. A guy showed up at home, collected my bank account details via a “cancelled cheque”, my PAN Card copy, Address proof, and what have you. Chalo, no issues, part of the process — after all, I was opening a financial relationship, there has to be with Full KYC. Then:
Two days later, comes an email containing ALL of that information — for me to verify! Among other things (phone no. et. al.), It had my full legal name, FULL bank a/c number (no XXX) with Bank Name, and Full branch address. It left me wondering, in a time when even Ms Clinton’s cloud mail gets hacked, how easy it is for someone to access this email, impersonate me to my bank’s call center with all the info on me, and essentially do MAYHEM.
And have I shared that the very next email had all my initial passwords to access the different facilities that the trading account comes with! There was no URL included in the email — that THAT is the authentic site where I need to quickly go and change my passwords. And one of the passwords was for accessing them on telephone — to trade practically any amount in my account. And without mention of what is that telephone number where this password will work, that I should quickly dial and change my telephone password!
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In my clear fear, Aadhaar, with Biometrics, can convert an already dangerous atmosphere into one of utmostfear. The attitude of the players collecting Biometrics it is no less cavalier, as we shall see in my next real example. And Aadhaar, I sense, shall be deemed non-repudiable — i.e. if someone has your fingerprints and Aadhaar number, and does stuff like abscond with a loan in your name, it’s an open-and-shut YoudoneIt!
And does it help that the first people to obtain Indian Aadhaar number have been our Bangladeshi maids!! So much for Nationalism and Citizen privileges, LoL!
CASE II
Yesterday, I received a solicitation call from a major telecom player for porting mobile number to their network. The offer price was really good, so I asked them to do it. I was shocked that not only they need Aadhaar number, but also fingerprints! I had to ask, “Where will the fingerprints be recorded, in your server or the image will ping against a Government server? Can you explain me how is the consumer safe from leakage of the prints and number combination at the company’s end? What measures are in place?” The answers I received were wholly irrelevant to what I asked, but more importantly, reflected a blissful unawareness that there is even any sense in my questions or concerns! It was, however, all preceded with full in-your-face EQ, “Thank you for that excellent question!” At least we’ve taken something seriously, if only giving people a feel good on ultimate shit. Who needs intelligence, and who needs you to be intelligent, when there is bot-guided Emotional Intelligence to “manage” everything!

Ultimately, I had to decline the number porting offer, as I wasn’t convinced that a mobile connection ought to involve parting with one’s Aadhaar number, the ultimate Citizen Identity touted to us, to a private player AND the fingerprints, the ultimate and potentially unrepudiable VALIDATION of it that doesn’t sound like it is impossible for thieves to obtain. It’s not an application for Passport or Ration Card or any benefit. By the way, the lady answered this one correctly, or at least relevantly, “It’s mann.D.atory, sar. Minss,..You havV to GivV!”
NO UPSIDE
In the United States, there is Social Security Number. It does not have Biometrics, and even with some measures by companies and awareness among staff to keep it safe, all hell breaks lose for a person whose identity gets stolen. BUT there is an upside > There actually exists a Social Security program for your old age, accessible to those that paid into it through their working life. In India, there is no such thing as Social Security for a person that makes taxable levels of income. For filing taxes, one of the purposes of the US SSN and ITIN, there is already the Indian Tax Deptt’s Permanent Account Number.
There are few benefits for the very poor. Why not just let those that think they are eligible for such help apply for Aadhaar?
Why foist it on all the sundry, make it mandatory to use for even commercial, non-welfare transactions, in an environment where its safety is suspect even procedurally, and making it the Aadhaar of WhodoneIt? It just doesn’t make any sense. The UIDAI created some jobs for IT personnel in the aftermath of the bust of 2008, gave a 2nd career to Mr. Nilekeni, now lets dump this, No!? This has turned out to be an expensive, perhaps even halfwit, way to show off one’s Technological advancedness, with just for the heck of it Digital and Biometrics!
THE NEARLY IRRELEVANT-TO-ISSUE DEBATE ON PRIVACY
The Government, meanwhile, is passing time — sometimes resisting, sometimes agreeing, that Privacy is a Fundamental Right under Art 21, or Common Law Right, and what have you. It says, privacy is already gone when companies can track you already whether you are in the kitchen or bedroom right now; so why should one resist a Big Bro Gov to also have access to what you are doing at what point in time! This is pure amazing and half-amusing — instead of getting us out of this muck, Gov wants to, instead, join in with Big Business and Big Fin. Just Wonderful! With an ideal of ruler in Shri Ram, one can’t even buy this meaningless muddle in the name of Hindutva, it’s its stark opposite.
Are we Fundamentally a People with “Our” Government; or does India wish to be a State with a Subject population? Trackable, Taggable, and most-concerningly, ease-prey to Identity hijack in an Damn-care milieu — then running around to clear one’s name, or chhatputting about to get back one’s money transferred out by one’s cyberghost. And through the times when you take 2-day leave for it, and now your job might be also, legitimately! gone.