[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Data is encrypted and not accessible, says government
In its latest exposé, WikiLeaks has claimed that a US-based company providing devices to record biometric data for Aadhaar might have compromised the sensitive data. Great Game India News (CGI News), a geopolitics-focused news magazine portal, published the report on Thursday.
WikiLeak says that US spy agency CIA was using tools devised by the technology provider Cross Match Technologies Inc.
The company provides biometric identity solutions to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) through its partner Smart Identity Devices Pvt Ltd, a New Delhi based company, which has, till now, enrolled 1.2 million Indian citizens on the Aadhaar database. It was one of the first suppliers of biometric devices for Aadhaar data collection. UIDAI is the statutory body overseeing the data procurement for Aadhaar.
WikiLeaks reported that CIA conducts covert operations under the project name ‘ExpressLane’ to tail on other US agencies like National Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.“The Office of Technical Services (OTS), a branch within the CIA, has a biometric collection system that is provided to liaison services around the world – the expectation for sharing of the biometric takes collected on the systems,” WikiLeaks said on Thursday.
WikiLeaks also tweeted about the same and asked: Have CIA spies already stolen India’s national ID card database? [/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]However, the Indian government officials denied the report saying that the data leak was not possible as vendors receive data in an encrypted form which is then transferred to Aadhaar servers. It was not a WikiLeaks “Leak” but a report by a website.
“The reports do not have any basis in fact. Aadhaar data is safely encrypted and is not accessible to any other agency,” an official was quoted as saying.
An email sent out to Cross Match Technologies also remains unanswered.
Earlier in May, the stance of Aadhaar as a foolproof and cost effective ID solution has also been questioned when Aadhaar data leaks from UIDAI and other government websites were reported.
The government then clarified that Aadhaar is foolproof and Biometric technology is the best system in 2016. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]