Aadhaar Card Misuse: Government warns citizens against sharing Aadhaar photocopies

People should also avoid downloading Aadhaar copies from public computers like those found in cyber cafes.

New Delhi: The government has issued an order prohibiting people from sharing their Aadhaar card photocopy with anyone, including organisations. The rule essentially states that sharing or distributing photocopies of your Aadhaar card may be exploited by others. "Do not share photocopies of your Aadhaar with any organisations because it can be misused," the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) stated in a news release.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) also advises you to use caution when utilising your Aadhaar card for verification or documentation. People should also avoid downloading Aadhaar copies from public computers like those found in cyber cafes, according to the announcement. If you still wish to utilise this approach to obtain a copy of your Aadhaar, make sure to delete any e-copies from the system, including the recycling bin.

In addition to warning individuals against misusing Aadhaar duplicates, the MeitY directive also cautions entities involved in the usage of Aadhaar for various reasons. It seeks to ensure that organisations with the necessary licences use Aadhaar to identify people, and that they have obtained a User License from the UIDAI.

Other firms, including hotels and movie theatres, are prohibited from obtaining and storing copies of the Aadhaar card. It is a violation under the Aadhaar Act 2016 if they engage in such acts.

People in the country should utilise the disguised Aadhaar card, which only shows the last four digits of your Aadhaar number, according to the press release. Anyone having a valid Aadhaar number can obtain it by visiting the UIDAI's official website.