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Linking Aadhaar to services “must be criminalized”, says Edward Snowden

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8 years ago

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Linking Aadhaar to services “must be criminalized”, says Edward Snowden

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In yet another major blow at the central government’s Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), American whistleblower-in-exile Edward Snowden on Sunday hit out at the Aadhaar card through a series of posts on Twitter. Terming Aadhaar as “an improper gate to service”, the former US National Security Agency contractor stated that the demands to link unique numbers with services “must be criminalized”.

Linking an online article written by former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief KC Verma, Snowden wrote on Twitter, “Rarely do former intel chiefs and I agree, but the head of India’s RAW writes #Aadhaar is being abused by banks, telcos, and transport not to police entitlements, but as a proxy for identity–an improper gate to service. Such demands must be criminalized.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]JTNDYmxvY2txdW90ZSUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIydHdpdHRlci10d2VldCUyMiUyMGRhdGEtbGFuZyUzRCUyMmVuJTIyJTNFJTNDcCUyMGxhbmclM0QlMjJlbiUyMiUyMGRpciUzRCUyMmx0ciUyMiUzRVJhcmVseSUyMGRvJTIwZm9ybWVyJTIwaW50ZWwlMjBjaGllZnMlMjBhbmQlMjBJJTIwYWdyZWUlMkMlMjBidXQlMjB0aGUlMjBoZWFkJTIwb2YlMjBJbmRpYSUyNiUyMzM5JTNCcyUyMFJBVyUyMHdyaXRlcyUyMCUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ0d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRmhhc2h0YWclMkZBYWRoYWFyJTNGc3JjJTNEaGFzaCUyNmFtcCUzQnJlZl9zcmMlM0R0d3NyYyUyNTVFdGZ3JTIyJTNFJTIzQWFkaGFhciUzQyUyRmElM0UlMjBpcyUyMGJlaW5nJTIwYWJ1c2VkJTIwYnklMjBiYW5rcyUyQyUyMHRlbGNvcyUyQyUyMGFuZCUyMHRyYW5zcG9ydCUyMG5vdCUyMHRvJTIwcG9saWNlJTIwZW50aXRsZW1lbnRzJTJDJTIwYnV0JTIwYXMlMjBhJTIwcHJveHklMjBmb3IlMjBpZGVudGl0eSVFMiU4MCU5M2FuJTIwaW1wcm9wZXIlMjBnYXRlJTIwdG8lMjBzZXJ2aWNlLiUyMFN1Y2glMjBkZW1hbmRzJTIwbXVzdCUyMGJlJTIwY3JpbWluYWxpemVkLiUyMCUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ0LmNvJTJGclJTbjQyWExsUSUyMiUzRWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGdC5jbyUyRnJSU240MlhMbFElM0MlMkZhJTNFJTNDJTJGcCUzRSUyNm1kYXNoJTNCJTIwRWR3YXJkJTIwU25vd2RlbiUyMCUyOCU0MFNub3dkZW4lMjklMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGdHdpdHRlci5jb20lMkZTbm93ZGVuJTJGc3RhdHVzJTJGOTU1MDUwNDU1NDkwNTQ3NzEyJTNGcmVmX3NyYyUzRHR3c3JjJTI1NUV0ZnclMjIlM0VKYW51YXJ5JTIwMjElMkMlMjAyMDE4JTNDJTJGYSUzRSUzQyUyRmJsb2NrcXVvdGUlM0UlMEElM0NzY3JpcHQlMjBhc3luYyUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGcGxhdGZvcm0udHdpdHRlci5jb20lMkZ3aWRnZXRzLmpzJTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNFJTIwJTBB[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Later in the day, Snowden linked a post tweeted by the UIDAI official handle on January 17 and replied to it depicting the flaws in the design of information flow with Aadhaar.

On January 17, UIDAI shared a post from its official Twitter handle, saying, “#Aadhaar is an identifier, not a profiling tool. Aadhaar database does not keep any information about bank accounts, shares, mutual funds, property details, health records, family details, religion, caste, education etc. #AadhaarMythBuster.” Snowden quoted this tweet and wrote: “That might be true if banks, landlords, hospitals, schools, telephone & internet companies were prohibited by law from asking for your #Aadhaar number. But any Indian can tell you they’re asked for their number by non-government entities–and those companies have databases too.”

Responding to the UIDAI tweet, Snowden said, “That might be true if banks, landlords, hospitals, schools, telephone & internet companies were prohibited by law from asking for your #Aadhaar number. But any Indian can tell you they’re asked for their number by non-government entities––and those companies have databases too.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Snowden’s fresh jibe at Aadhaar came days after The Tribune reporter Rachna Khaira has depicted how anonymous sellers over WhatsApp were allegedly providing Aadhaar details for a fee. She claimed that Rs 500 and 10 minutes got an access to almost every detail of any individual submitted to the UIDAI – including name, address, postal code (PIN), photo, phone number and email.

UIDAI registered an FIR against the newspaper, its reporter Rachna Khaira and her sources: Anil Kumar, Sunil Kumar and Raj, the people contacted during the course of reporting under IPC Sections 419 (punishment for cheating by impersonation), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document), as well Section 66 of the IT Act and Section 36/37 of the Aadhaar Act.

Coming out in support of the publication and its reporter, Snowden at that time tweeted that the journalist should be awarded and not probed for digging out the truth.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]“The journalists exposing the #Aadhaar breach deserve an award, not an investigation. If the government were truly concerned for justice, they would be reforming the policies that destroyed the privacy of a billion Indians. Want to arrest those responsible? They are called @UIDAI,” wrote Snowden.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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PM Modi assures no discrimination in women’s quota, delimitation debate intensifies in Parliament

PM Narendra Modi has assured that women’s reservation will be implemented without discrimination, amid a heated debate over delimitation in Parliament.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured that there will be no discrimination in the implementation of women’s reservation, as Parliament witnessed a sharp debate over the proposed linkage between the quota and delimitation exercise.

During the ongoing special session, the government reiterated its commitment to ensuring fair representation while addressing concerns raised by opposition parties regarding the timing and structure of the legislation.

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Give all tickets to Muslim women, Amit Shah says, attacking Akhilesh Yadav on sub-quota demand

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No state will lose a seat, Centre assures as delimitation debate takes centre stage in Parliament

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A special session of Parliament commenced on Thursday, with the Centre set to take up crucial legislation related to women’s reservation and delimitation of constituencies. The session, scheduled over three days, is expected to witness intense debate as the government pushes forward its legislative agenda.

At the centre of discussions is the proposal to operationalise the women’s reservation law, which seeks to allocate 33 percent of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to women. The law, passed earlier, requires enabling provisions before it can be implemented.

The rollout of the reservation is closely tied to the delimitation exercise — a process that redraws parliamentary constituencies based on updated population data. The implementation is expected only after the next census and delimitation process are completed.

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