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This is an archive article published on January 4, 2018

Aadhaar info for just Rs 500? Twitterati worried even as UIDAI refutes claims of leak

According to 'The Tribune' report, all it took them was a Rs 500 payment through PayTM for facilitating the deal in a matter of just 10 minutes. The news spread like wildfire, especially on the Internet, where people, some frightened and others furious, responded to the news in great numbers.

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The news of Aadhaar information breach spread like wildfire, especially on the Internet, where people, some frightened and others furious, responded to the news in great numbers. (Source: File Photo)(Source: Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)

Have you been bombarded with messages from your telecom operators and bank accounts reminding you to link your Aadhaar card with your number? Well, in case you were now planning to get it done, here is a news that might just stop you in your tracks right away. According to a report by The Tribune, its investigating journalists “purchased” a service offered by anonymous sellers on WhatsApp allowing unlimited and unrestricted access to details of over one billion Aadhaar numbers in the country. All it took them was a Rs 500 payment through PayTM for facilitating the deal in a matter of 10 minutes. The news spread like wildfire, especially on the Internet, where people, some frightened and others furious, responded to the news in great numbers.

With most questions pointed towards the government, people, worried about the security of their personal data, asked who will take responsibility for this leak. “Rs 500 may not be enough for buying 1 vote in India, but it can surely buy 1 Billion Aadhaar details at once,” wrote another Twitter user.

‘Right to Privacy’ is mocked and flouted again. Rs 500. That’s all it takes for someone to steal the data of a billion citizens. #Aadhaar has become an identity theft nightmare https://t.co/mhmGUPgPcj

— shikha chamuah (@ShikhaChamuah) January 4, 2018

ITS BREACHED!
Ur #Aadhaar are for sale!!

Get shocked reading this investigation done by the @thetribunechd journalist Rachna Khaira#THREAD ?? https://t.co/mevtDxLcXS

— James Wilson (@jamewils) January 4, 2018

How much does it cost to access details of 1 billion Aadhaars?

Just Rs. 500

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Sounds like a bargain!https://t.co/11BU4w7RJy

— Fake Trend Hunter (@trollabhakt) January 4, 2018

Shame on #UIDAI and our Politicians who continuously force us to link everything with #Aadhaar When anyone can have access to your #Database in just Rs 500, then we can understand how much secure our data is. Now, who will take responsibility for it?

— Amit Bhardwaj (@BhardwajAmmy) January 4, 2018

Rs 500 may not be enough for buying 1 vote in India, but it can surely buy 1 Billion Aadhaar details at once.

— Manoj Kumar Sahu (@ManojSahuG) January 4, 2018

This confirms what every single intelligent observer has been saying for years. This and the continuous collateral damage.https://t.co/TcaWwnnxsM

— Anupam Guha (@Anupam_Guha) January 4, 2018

Regretting the moment when I enrolled myself for aadhaar, now I’m feeling like I traded my “Right of privacy” away, our vital private infirmation being sold in market for cheap as Rs. 500, people be ready for all sort of spam and fraud calls. #aadhaar https://t.co/zV6LciMtcF

— Vaibhav Meena (@drvaibhavmeena) January 4, 2018

?? ??????? ?? ?????? #aadhaar Rs 500 https://t.co/tLy3HT3T4g

— Furquan Ameen (@furquansid) January 4, 2018

Over 6 months, a lakh people may have purchased access to the Aadhaar database for as little as 500 rupees.

This means in the last six months every time an idiot was trolling me for opposing Aadhaar, someone was pocketing 500 for selling it.

Sidenote: PayTM is useful indeed. https://t.co/LzMZOuOso2

— Vidyut #DestroyTheAadhaar (@Vidyut) January 4, 2018

Aadhaar details of over a billion people available for Rs. 500?
Oh No! The government may now try to fix this by banning 500 rupee notes.https://t.co/HZjDTsSB0P

— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) January 4, 2018

Hello biometricked citizens of India.

UIDAI’s central server has been breached. All of our Aadhaar data, all 1 billion of us, can be bought for FUCKIN Rs 500!

That’s how cheap our info is. The government has screwed with all of our lives quite royally.https://t.co/9IiojtjCaR

— Meghnad (@Memeghnad) January 4, 2018

#DestroyTheAadhaar @rsprasad
Promised that data is safe but here it’s is available for almost ntg. Is this the privacy that you maintain?
https://t.co/5InCDJGXZZ

— Roman D’souza (@romandsouza) January 4, 2018
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Meanwhile, UIDAI’s Twitter account issued a clarification claiming that this was a case of “misreporting” and that there has been no biometric data breach whatsoever. “Some persons have misused demographic search facility, given to designated officials to help residents who have lost Aadhaar/Enrollment slip to retrieve their details,” read one tweet and “@UIDAI maintains complete log & traceability of the facility, any misuse is traceable. Legal action taken, including FIR against persons involved. Search facility gives limited access to name & other details, has no access to biometric details,” read another. BJP’s Twitter account too, tweeted out an official statement, calling the report “fake news“.

Tribune’s Story “Rs 500, 10 minutes, and you have access to billion Aadhaar details” is a case of misreporting. No biometric data breach @thetribunechd @rsprasad @ceo_uidai @timesofindia @firstpost @IndiaToday @ZeeNews

— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) January 4, 2018

Some persons have misused demographic search facility, given to designated officials to help residents who have lost Aadhaar/Enrollment slip to retrieve their details @thetribunechd @rsprasad @ceo_uidai @timesofindia @firstpost @IndiaToday @ZeeNews @htTweets @TheQuint

— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) January 4, 2018

@UIDAI maintains complete log & traceability of the facility, any misuse is traceable. Legal action taken, including FIR against persons involved. Search facility gives limited access to name & other details, has no access to biometric details @thetribunechd @rsprasad @ceo_uidai

— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) January 4, 2018

There has not been any data breach of biometric database which remains fully safe & secure with highest encryption at UIDAI and mere display of demographic info cannot be misused without biometrics @thetribunechd @timesofindia @rsprasad @ceo_uidai @htTweets @ZeeNews @IndiaToday

— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) January 4, 2018

Tribune’s report suggesting the data breach at @UIDAI is fake news! pic.twitter.com/qtOzNIq7zH

— BJP (@BJP4India) January 4, 2018

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